Howling at the Storm
by fairytaleslayer
Summary: A newly regenerated Wolf and her companion, Doctor John Smythe, continue their adventures across space and time. But a storm's approaching, one they may be unable to avoid. AU of S2 with Rose!Doctor and John!Companion. Sequel to Storm of the Wolf and second in the Howling Trilogy.
1. Crash-Landing

**A/N: Welcome to Howling at the Storm! My test is now taken, and I have a free month as I await my scores and search for a job, so I can devote some time to writing! This is the second story of the Howling trilogy, and if you haven't read my first story, Storm of the Wolf, I suggest you go back to that one, as this will not make sense without it.**

**- Pause while those people exit -**

**Moving on. So, to recap. John and the Wolf were cornered at the Game Station and the Wolf was shot by a Dalek. She sent John home, he absorbed the Time Vortex and became the Oncoming Storm for a brief period. He and the Wolf destroyed the rest of the Dalek fleet and the Wolf then regenerated due to her previous injuries.**

**I hope you all enjoy this next installment. I'm terribly excited about it. But without further ado, allons-y!  
Disclaimer: I do about one of these. But if I owned Doctor Who, we certainly wouldn't have the show we do right now. And I wouldn't be writing this.**

* * *

Crash-Landing

John lowered his hand, blinking away spots as the blazing golden light died down. A strangely energetic blonde woman was bouncing around the console, jabbering away at a mile a minute about something. He wasn't quite sure what. Dogs with no noses, or some such. She flicked switches, checked a monitor, pressed a few buttons, all with a sense of glee.

"Now then, what do I look like?" the woman asked. "No, no no, no no no no no no no. No, don't tell me. Figuring it out's half the fun."

John, having made no effort to say anything, simply stared at the girl as she began inspecting her body. "Let's see...two legs, two arms, two hands..." She ran her hands through her blond locks. "Hair's a little bit shorter, that's fine. Not quite as rail-thin, little thicker," she recited, patting around her stomach and back. "Give me time, I'll get used to it. Oh!" she halted, eyes wide. She put a hand on top of her head, then raised it in the air above her. "I...am exactly...4.126 centimeters taller," she realized, moving her hand up and down on top of her head. A smile slowly grew on her face. "That's all right then. All the better to reach things!" That decided, the woman bounded off, babbling away as John stopped paying attention, trying to figure out where this woman had come from and where the Wolf had gone.

He stood this way for several minutes, before, " - and you have never been so silent," he caught the tail end of the woman's last sentence. She looked over at him, finally calming down. "John, are you okay?" she asked. She made to move over to him, but John took a step back, raising his arms.

"Hold on. Just hold on a second," he delayed. The woman stopped, giving him a hurt glance as she fidgeted in place. After a few moments of trying to gather his thoughts, John spoke up. "Where is she? Where's the Wolf?" he demanded.

The blonde woman gave him an incredulous look. "John, I'm right here. It's me. I'm the Wolf," she told him.

"No, she exploded in some kind of golden light, and then all of a sudden, you're here, and – she's not," John protested. "What did you do to her?"

"Johnny," the girl said softly, "that was me. I told you. My little trick, remember? I was dying, so I changed. To save my own life, I replaced every cell in my body. But I'm still me. I promise."

John took a step towards her and looked her over, trying to find a sign that this stranger was telling the truth. She was wearing the same clothes the Wolf had been, even though they didn't quite fit right, and the shirt was still practically sliced in half from the Dalek's laser.

To the girl's credit, she stood still and let him peruse, even though she practically vibrated from having to stay put. Quietly, she began to speak. "Remember the very first word I said to you?" she asked. "Trapped in that dressing room, about to be massacred by shop window dummies. Oh...such a long time ago." Now she moved, stepping up to John. "I took your hand," she did so again, and John could almost imagine it was the same hand from before. "I said one word. Just one word. I said – 'Run'."

John looked in her eyes, and after a few more seconds, finally saw what he was looking for. "Wolf?" he asked tremulously.

The Wolf grinned. "Hello," she replied, her voice soft, tightening her grip.

John took a deep breath and grabbed the Wolf in a hug, letting go of her hand and lifting her in the air. "I was so scared," he whispered into her hair. "Don't you ever do that again."

The Wolf chuckled. "I make no promises."

John set her down. "So you're okay."

"Course!" The Wolf leaped away and began moving around the other side of the console. "And we never stopped running, did we? All across the universe. Running, running, running..." she trailed off.

"Wolf?" John asked when she stayed quiet, staring off into space for a moment. "You sure you're alright?"

The Wolf jerked and tucked her hands under her arms defensively. "Of course I'm fine. All I did was change, why do keep asking me –" the Wolf was cut off as she gagged, the TARDIS shuddering at the same time.

John looked at her in concern. "What?" he asked.

"I said why –" she retched again, her body falling into the console as the TARDIS lurched once more. "Uh-oh."

"Wolf, what's happening? What's wrong?!" John asked frantically, bewildered.

The Wolf fell to her knees. "Gah, I'm busy! I've got plenty to do!" she yelled in a strained voice. Suddenly, a lever seemed to catch her eye. "I haven't used this one in years," she muttered before hauling it down. The TARDIS shook violently before speeding up, nearly knocking John on his butt. He grabbed onto the railing, trying to keep his feet under him.

"What are you doing?" John yelled over the sounds of the TARDIS speeding through the vortex as the Wolf got to her feet and ran to the side of the console near him. The Wolf froze and retched again, issuing a swirl of golden light from her mouth. "What was that?" John asked, shocked.

The Wolf looked over her shoulder. "Oh, the change is going a bit wrong, is all – speed!" she abruptly shifted gears. "Putting on a bit of speed. That's it!" She thrust the lever down even farther, pushing the TARDIS to a greater velocity. She turned more knobs as John tried to stay on his feet. "My beautiful ship! Come on, faster! That's a girl. Faster!"

"Wolf, stop it! You have to slow down, you're gonna get us both killed!" John shouted at her. "This isn't what you want, listen to me!"

The Wolf turned, the crazed look in her eye dimming down. "The regeneration's going wrong. I can't stop myself," she explained before grimacing. "Ah, my head..." She bent over in pain before suddenly bouncing back up. "Faster! Let's open those engines!"

A warning bell droned as the TARDIS hurtled through time. "What's that?" John asked.

The Wolf suddenly appeared right next to John, making him jump. "We're gonna crash land!" she exclaimed, delighted.

"Then do something about it!"

"Too late! Out of control, oh, brilliant!" She hopped in the air excitedly. "Hold on tight, here we go!" John grabbed onto the console as the Wolf did. If they survived this, he was dragging her to the Med Bay and not letting her out for a week.

"Christmas Eve," the Wolf announced with a grin.

* * *

The TARDIS came to Earth with a crash, and before John could manage to regain his wits, the Wolf was out the door. "No, no, no! Wolf!" he yelled, hauling himself to his feet and running after her.

He found her just outside the ship, spinning around in a circle with her ill-fitting and torn clothes, looking like some kind of drifter. "Here we are then. London. Earth. Solar system. I did it!" she told him proudly.

"Right. Good job, Wolf. Yes. Now, what do you say we go back inside, huh?" John suggested, trying to herd her back through the TARDIS doors, but she dodged away.

"No, no, wait! I've got something to say. There was something I had to tell you, something important. What was it?" She stumbled over to him to place a hand over his mouth. John grabbed her other wrist, trying to keep her in place. "No, hold on, hold on. Hold on, shush, shush, shush, shush." She paused. "Oh I know! Merry Christmas!" she proclaimed with a grin, before promptly collapsing.

John barely caught her before she ran her face right into the concrete. "Oh, that's it, now you keel over," he complained as he carried the Wolf's limp body back into the TARDIS. "You couldn't have done that _before_ you crash landed us on Earth. Every time we come to this planet, _every _time, there's a disaster, so of _course_ you decide to park here. Now someone's gonna kidnap the whole population just you watch," he warned the Wolf. "But of course you can't do that, because now you're crazy _and_ unconscious. And I don't know how to fix it. Brilliant."

John stopped at the hallway leading from the console room. "Little help here, love?" he asked the ship. "Where's her room at this time?" A set of lights brightened a path at his feet. John smiled for what felt like the first time in days. "Thanks."

Following the lights, John shoved open the door that they led to, only to be greeted by the sight of his bedroom. "No, wrong room. Where's the _Wolf's?_" John said slowly. The ceiling lamps flickered before another set of lights lit up the floor again. John followed them again, opened the door, and again walked right into his room. "Is this a joke?" he accused the TARDIS.

The ship chimed at him, and John could have sworn she was laughing madly. He rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He carried the Wolf inside and set her down on his bed, muttering all the while about meddling, prankster time ships and crazy, body-snatching Time Ladies.

Looking down at the Wolf, who now appeared to be sleeping peacefully, John realized just how small she still was. If anything, she looked almost – innocent. He knew this wasn't the case – he had seen first hand what the Wolf was capable of, but it was hard to imagine that this young girl was the person to do those things. She barely looked twenty-five, if that. Her medium-length honey blonde hair added to her guileless image.

Her previous self – _and doesn't that just sound weird coming out of your mouth_, John thought – had looked...tough. His first impression had been to liken her to a war veteran. She wore her clothes like armor, guarded her hearts, mind, and the rest of the universe with a ferocity that stunned him. This girl had none of that appearance, but John could almost see it bubbling just below the surface. The Bad Wolf, waiting to come out again.

John pushed that thought to the back of his mind for now. The whole last ten minutes on the Game Station was hazy to him, and he had much bigger problems to worry about. First, he had to take care of the Wolf. Second, he had noticed in the brief few seconds he had been outside, that the TARDIS had landed close to his flat. He could get some stuff from there, medical equipment he trusted himself to use properly on his own. A lot of the instruments in the Med Bay were still beyond his comprehension. Maybe he could go get her some food, too. Changing your entire body had to work up an appetite, and right now, the kitchen was pretty bare due to Jack's endless foraging. John pushed away the thought of Jack as well, his heart twisting at the notion that his friend was in all likelihood dead thousands of years in the future.

Last, the poor girl needed some more comfortable clothes. Every time John saw the bottom half of the Wolf's shirt dangling by a thread, her jacket gone entirely, he winced at the memory of the Dalek's laser slicing through her side and her scream of pain.

New plan, the clothes were going to be the first things to go. Checking the Wolf to make sure she was still okay, John crept out of the room before heading to the Wardrobe Room. Passing the console room on the way, he asked, "Hey, could you pull up the local news on the monitor? Wanna make sure we didn't make headlines," he said to the TARDIS. The ship's hum followed him as he picked out some soft pants and a shirt to get the Wolf into before retracing his steps.

"Hang on, is that Harriet Jones?" He stopped at the monitor to watch. "Why's she on television?"

"Prime Minister, what about those calling the Guinevere One Space Probe a waste of money?" a man was asking Harriet.

"Now, that's where you're wrong. I completely disagree if you don't mind," she answered firmly. "The Guinevere One Space Probe represents this country's limitless ambition. British workmanship sailing up there among the stars."

"So they did make you Prime Minister," John murmured. "I'll be damned. Britain's Golden Age, indeed."

"The unmanned probe Guinevere One is about to make it's final descent," a narrator intoned. "Photographs of the Martian landscape should be received by midnight tonight."

Switching the monitor off, John made his way back to his room. The Wolf had not moved in his absence. Now that he had the new clothes, John realized that he was going to have to actually take her old ones off. He hesitated. "Blimey," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

As quickly and smoothly as he could, John pulled the Wolf's shirt over her head. He tried to look away as much as possible, hoping to maintain her privacy, but that proved impossible when he managed to put her head down one sleeve. Instead, he went for speed. Embarrassed, he moved onto removing her jeans and pulling up the sweats he had found, this time managing to keep his eyes averted for most of the process.

Finally done, John took a second to regain his fractured self-control. "Now what?" he asked the Wolf's still body, now settled comfortably under his sheets. "I don't want to leave you, but I need my things to check you out." He sat on the edge of the bed, watching the Wolf as he tried to come up with a viable plan. Like always, his first instinct was to call Mike, but Mike would lose it again, coming back into the TARDIS.

No, he needed someone who wouldn't freak out. Preferably someone who had at least been in the TARDIS before...

The Brig! He could call the Brigadier. Why hadn't he thought of that sooner? John leapt to his feet and dug through his dresser, searching for his super phone. Once he had it, he scrolled through his recent calls, finding Kate's cell phone number from the Slitheen incident. Praying she was in town, John hit send.

Kate picked up on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Kate! It's John Smythe," he answered enthusiastically.

"John! Hi! What's up?"

"Listen, odd question, but are you in London right now?" he asked.

"Yeeaahh? I'm on holiday from Cambridge."

"Excellent. Is your father available?"

"No, he had to go into UNIT this morning. Mum was not pleased," Kate said cheerfully. "Something about odd readings. They can't go a month without coming up with some emergency to bring him back in. I think they hope some event will entice him enough to bring him out of retirement again, but he's standing firm this time."

"Damn. Well, maybe you can help me. I've got a bit of a situation."

Kate sobered. "What do you need?" she asked, business-like.

"I'm in the TARDIS with the Wolf, could you meet me here, quick as you can?" John asked.

"Definitely. Where am I going?"

John gave her the street name and she hung up, promising to be there within twenty minutes. John spent that time pacing around the console room, keeping an eye on the news for anything that might indicate that the TARDIS had been spotted, and periodically running to check on the Wolf.

Eighteen minutes later, Kate knocked on the doors. John hurriedly let her in. "What's going on?" Kate wanted to know as she walked in.

"What do you know about regeneration? Did your father ever tell you anything?" John asked.

Kate smiled. "Yeah, he did mention it a few times when I was a kid. Something about if she gets hurt, she can change her appearance or something."

"That's about the gist of it. The Wolf said if she was fatally wounded, she could change every cell in her body to save her life, essentially becoming a new person," John explained.

"What does that have to do –" Kate's eyes widened. "She regenerated, didn't she? That's what you called about." She looked around. "Where is she?"

John hesitated. "That's kind of the situation. Follow me." He led Kate back to his room, showing her the Wolf sleeping on the bed.

"That's her?" Kate whispered. "She looks completely different."

"Believe me, I know. Listen, did the Brig ever tell you anything about complications with the regeneration? Like, her losing her mind?" John asked.

Kate looked over at him, surprised. "Well, no, not exactly," she began, but paused. "But now that you mention it, he did tell me one story about when she regenerated from her second to her third form. That was after the Time Lord Council forced her to regenerate, if I remember right. Supposedly, she woke up after being out for days, violently cuddled her shoes, and then made a wild escape from the UNIT medical wing in a wheelchair."

John snorted. "Amazingly, I can imagine that perfectly. Okay, that makes me feel a bit better."

"Yeah, my father said that her regeneration often resulted in some form of temporary memory loss. But she always got better. Is that what happened?" Kate asked.

"Not exactly. She sort of went crazy and crash landed the TARDIS on purpose." Kate raised her eyebrows in surprise. "It was like she couldn't control herself. She came out of it for a second, said the regeneration had gone wrong, crashed us here, then collapsed. She hasn't woken up since," John explained. "And now, I want to check her over with some of my medical equipment, which is in my flat, which just so happens to be less than a block away, funnily enough, because I'm not comfortable using the alien machines in the Med Bay on my own yet. But I didn't want to leave her alone. That's where you come in."

Kate shrugged and nodded. "Sure, I'll stay. I've got no plans right now. I'll just give Mum a call and let her know what's up. She loves the Wolf, she'll understand," she agreed readily.

"Thank you," John said in relief. "I was gonna grab some food for her too, figured she might be hungry if – _when_ – she woke up. But I'll try to be back in an hour."

"No worries. I'll call you if she wakes up."

"Kate, you are a star." John hugged the younger girl before making sure the Wolf was still resting peacefully. Then, leaving Kate in his room, he walked quickly out of the TARDIS, determined to get back as quickly as possible.

* * *

**A/N: As always, all thoughts on this chapter and the ones following are welcome, except for criticism without explanation. Don't just tell me it's bad or you didn't like it. Tell me why, and if it's something I can correct, I will attempt to do so. My primary goal with these stories is to improve my writing skills, so I welcome all feedback. Just make it worth my while. This is the only time I will mention anything about reviews, I promise. I hate it when authors beg for reviews over and over, and will not do so here.**

**Welcome back!**


	2. A History

**A/N: Wow! The response to the first chapter was amazing! I'm so glad to see so many of you guys came back! But you didn't come here to see me ramble on, so here's the second part of Christmas Invasion.**

_Previously: "I didn't want to leave her alone. That's where you come in."_

_Kate shrugged and nodded. "Sure, I'll stay," she agreed readily._

"_Kate, you are a star." John hugged the younger girl before making sure the Wolf was still resting peacefully. Then, leaving Kate in his room, he walked quickly out of the TARDIS, determined to get back as quickly as possible._

* * *

A History

Half an hour later, John was just leaving a market with a couple of things for the Wolf and Kate when a brass band wearing Santa masks caught his eye from across the street. He wasn't sure what captured his interest: maybe it was the way one of them seemed to be staring at him, or the almost robotic way their legs moved while their upper bodies stayed preternaturally still. Whatever it was, when the band stopped playing and all hell broke loose, John had a front row seat.

All of a sudden, the trombone player blew fire out of his instrument, causing panic around him. John ran with the crowd a little ways before taking cover behind a stall. He peeked over the edge to see that three of the band members were staring right at his hiding spot while the tuba player made his way over to the tall tree on display. _They're after me,_ John realized. _And if they're after me, then they know about the Wolf._ He had to get out of there and back to the TARDIS. The Wolf was safe on the ship, but he needed to lose the band before he went back home. He couldn't lead them straight to her.

The tuba player fired a blast at the giant Christmas tree, demolishing its trunk. It fell straight towards John, crushing the tuba player in the process. John sprinted away from the stall, dodging the falling tree and ran down a street in the opposite direction of the TARDIS. The band seemed slow, but he didn't seem able to shake them.

Finally, out of options, John made his way to his abandoned flat and holed up there, grabbing the baseball bat he hung onto for self defense. He waited for his pursuers in the hallway, ready to make a stand.

And he waited. For ten minutes, he was met with complete silence. Cautious, he didn't let down his guard. Just as he was getting fed up, the doorbell rang.

John cocked his head in confusion. The bell rang again. Followed by knocking that quickly escalated to pounding on the door.

"Come on, what do I do, what do I do?" John muttered, adjusting his grip on the bat. "What would the Wolf do?" The robots were banging in earnest now, trying to batter the door down. "Sonic screwdriver: don't have it. Electrical expertise: none whatsoever. Chemicals: none. Damn it," he growled. _Wolf, it would be really great if you were just miraculously awake right now,_ he thought grimly as his front door cracked. _I'm gonna get killed by six Santas._ The door was almost broken in. _Come on, help me out here!_ he practically screamed in his mind, trying to figure out how to get out of this.

The door burst from its hinges, revealing the silhouettes of three Santa robots in the opening. "What, couldn't spare them all?" John spat. "Am I not worth the trouble?" He backed away, heading for his kitchen. "Well, come on then. Come and get me!" he taunted.

The robots followed him, and when they shuffled into the kitchen single file after him, John swung his bat, flinging the front Santa sideways head first into the sink. John turned the faucet on full strength, hoping the Santas were indeed mechanical. He noted the jerking of the robot as the water hit its circuits with a small amount of satisfaction while keeping his attention on the other two bots still advancing on him.

"One down," he informed them. The robots remained silent, but stopped suddenly, turning their attention back to the hallway before making their way out there. Confused, John followed them at a distance, his eyes widening when he caught sight of the Wolf as he rounded the corner.

The Wolf was standing in the doorway, screwdriver held out threateningly. Kate looked on from behind her. The Wolf raised her sonic, aiming at the lead Santa. The two bots backed off before disappearing in a beam of blue light.

John dropped the bat in relief. "Wolf?" he asked incredulously. "What are you doing here, how did you know? How did the screwdriver scare them off?"

"Heard you. Pilot fish," the Wolf answered darkly.

"What?" Kate spoke up.

"Those were just pilot fish," the Wolf got out before hunching over in pain.

"What's wrong?" John exclaimed, rushing over to grab her shoulders to lower her gently to the floor, her back against the wall.

"You woke me too soon," the Wolf managed, her voice strained. "I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy." She coughed, and a puff of golden energy escaped past her lips. "You see? The pilot fish could smell it a million miles away," she explained. "So they eliminate the defense, that's you two, and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple ye- ow!" She jerked forward, her face a mask of pain, as John kept her sitting up, Kate reaching in to help.

"Ow, my head! I'm having a neural implosion. I need –" the Wolf paused.

"What do you need?" Kate asked.

"I need – I –" the Wolf seemed to have trouble getting the words out.

"Painkillers?" Kate tried. "Food? Aspirin?"

"Wolf?" John asked.

"I need you both to shut up!" the Wolf finally got out.

John sighed. "Still rude," he muttered, making Kate grin a little despite her worry.

"Hasn't changed much then," she quipped.

"Listen. We haven't got much time." The Wolf grabbed John's shirt, pulling him towards her. He held her hand there, scooting forward. "If there's pilot fish, then – If they're here –" the Wolf stuttered to a stop, one hand going to her head as the other tightened its grip on John's shirt. "Argh! Brain. Collapsing." She looked up at John, trying desperately to get a few more words out. "The pilot fish. The pilot fish mean that something – something – something's coming," she warned before passing out, slumping into John's side.

John scooped the Wolf up. "We're going back to the TARDIS," he told Kate. "If those robots can smell the Wolf, the ship is the only thing that can protect her right now. Grab the black bag in the corner by the sofa would you?" he said over his shoulder. "It's got my emergency kit in it." Kate jogged through the mess of the living room to get his bag before following John and the Wolf out the door and down to the street.

A couple minutes later, John turned to her. "How did you two know where I was?" he wondered.

Kate shrugged. "Beats me. The Wolf was quiet the entire time you were gone, didn't move a centimeter. And then, all of a sudden, she's leaping out of the bed, grabbing her screwdriver from the dresser, and charging out the door, just saying, 'John's in trouble'. I just followed."

John frowned. "That's not something she's ever done before."

"Maybe it's the regeneration screwing with her head. Or maybe she could sense the robots or something," Kate suggested.

John shrugged one shoulder, hoisting the Wolf into a more comfortable position. "Maybe." But he doubted it.

* * *

Once the Wolf was safely tucked back into John's bed, John tugged open his medical kit, pulling out a stethoscope. Carefully, he listened to both sides of the Wolf's chest, his brow wrinkling in concern at what he heard.

"What is it?" Kate asked, walking back into the room.

"Only the right heart is working, and it's beating too fast, and her lungs don't sound good either. I wish I knew what I could use to scan her brain, since that seems to be what the main problem is, but that's not something we've talked about." Letting out a growl, John picked up one of the knick-knacks he had collected from some planet and threw it hard at the wall, where it collided with his mirror, cracking it.

"Hey!" Kate grabbed his arm. "None of that is going to help the Wolf!" she reprimanded him. "Now, if you want to do something constructive, come to the console room with me."

John shook his head. "I can't leave her alone," he denied.

"She'll be fine for five minutes while you cool off and help me with something. I was watching the news while you were out," Kate informed him, hauling him out of the room.

At the console, Kate turned the newscast back on. "Scientists in charge of Britain's mission to Mars have re-established contact with the Guinevere One space probe. They're expecting the first transmission from the planet's surface in the next few minutes," a reporter announced.

"Yes, we are. We're – we're back on schedule," a man identified as Doctor Llewellyn stuttered out. "We've received signal from Guinevere One. The Mars landing would seem to be an unqualified success."

"But is it true that you completely lost contact earlier tonight?" a man called out.

"Yes, we had a bit of a scare," Llewellyn admitted. "Guinevere seemed to fall off the scope, but it – it was just a blip. Only disappeared for a few seconds. She is fine now, absolutely fine. We're getting the first pictures transmitted live any minute now. I'd better get back to it. Thanks." Llewellyn then left the stage, ignoring all other questions.

"And that's not it," Kate told John, switching to the internet the TARDIS pulled up. "These are pilot fish," she explained, showing him a video. "Scavengers, like the Wolf said. Harmless. They're tiny. But the point is, the little fish swim alongside the big fish."

"Like sharks," John murmured as an animated shark chomped onscreen.

"Great big sharks," Kate agreed. "So, I guess what the Wolf means is, we had them, now we get _that_."

"Something is coming," John muttered. "How close?" he asked.

"There's no way of telling, but the pilot fish don't swim far from the sharks," Kate answered.

"Switch back to the news, love," John asked, and the TARDIS changed the screen with a hum.

"She does what you ask?" Kate asked in wonder.

John spared her a small smile. "Most of the time, unless I do something stupid and piss her off, like get in a fight with the Wolf. Then she ignores me, or makes me get lost."

Kate chuckled at that before turning back to the news. "Those don't look like Mars rocks to me," she pointed out.

"That's because they aren't." They both watched as an ugly, red-eyed alien wearing what looked like a mask made of some animal's skull growled and sputtered at the screen, declaring the superiority of the Sycorax and the coming subjugation of the planet.

* * *

"Sycorax, Sycorax," John muttered, pacing in his bedroom as Kate sat next to the Wolf's bed, mopping the Wolf's sweaty forehead with a cool towel. "Have I ever heard that before? Sycorax."

"Sycorax?" Kate asked. "Where'd you get that?"

John glanced over at the teen. "That's what the leader alien guy said. That the Sycorax were superior, and that the planet would be conquered and its people subjugated. Didn't you hear?"

Kate's eyebrows raised. "Oh, I heard, I just didn't understand," she told him.

John halted his pacing in surprise. "You didn't? But you're in the TARDIS. Normally all it takes is once and she'll translate for you."

Kate shook her head. "Apparently not. I got nothing. But we'll worry about that later. What are we going to do about the Wolf? If her brain's collapsing like she said, I doubt we have an infinite amount of time to fix it."

John sighed. "You're right. But I don't know what to do." He groaned, frustrated. "I don't know enough! I don't know how to fix a Time Lord's brain! She can't even fix it, how am I supposed to?"

"John –" Kate tried to break in, but John kept ranting, not paying any attention. "John." Finally, after a few more tries, the teen stood up and punched him hard in the arm.

"Ow!" John yelped, rubbing his arm. "What was that for?"

Fed up, Kate pointed at the floor. "Look!" she ordered.

Sparing the girl a last glare, John did as he was told. His eyes widened in surprise.

The floor was blinking on and off in bright flashes, trying to catch John's attention. John looked up at the ceiling. "What is it, girl?" he asked. The lights merely flashed more insistently. He sighed, calming down. "I'd better go see what she wants," he told Kate. "Watch the Wolf for me?"

Kate nodded. "I'm gonna try to find a laptop or something that I can use to keep track of some things, but I'll come right back," she said.

"Should be one on the console. The Wolf keeps it there, usually." John walked over to kneel by the bed. "I'm going to fix this," he promised the sleeping Wolf before leaning forward to kiss her softly on the forehead. The Wolf gave no indication that she had heard, and John quickly stood up and left the room, following the path the TARDIS had set him on.

Kate's eyes tracked him out the door before landing on the Wolf again. "Just between you and me," she informed the unconscious woman, "I think he's in love with you." The Wolf remained still. "Not that either of you will ever admit it," the teen sighed before leaving as well to find the laptop.

* * *

John was a bit surprised when the TARDIS led him to the library, and more specifically, to a large and heavy tome resting on a table with a spotlight over it. "X marks the spot, huh?" he said, slightly amused. John grabbed the book and sat down on their couch, looking at the title. For a few seconds, all he saw were circles and dots and lines, but shortly after, they shimmered into English words as the TARDIS translated for him.

_A History_, the title now read.

_A history of what? _John wondered, opening it. He was somewhat surprised to learn that the book was referring to the history of the Time Lords. Glancing over the sections, he saw titles for Time Lord culture, language, reproduction, and evolution, among others. Under the Evolution section, John grew excited when he saw a sub-section entitled Regeneration. He quickly flipped to the correct page and began scanning the paragraphs.

The book was enlightening, to say the least. It went through the entire process of a Time Lord's regeneration, step by step, discussing the biological changes that took place, and what personality changes to expect, although the Time Lord, with few exceptions, retained their base ideals and characteristics. The book also described the most common causes of regeneration, with those being old age, a grievous wound, or as a form of punishment for some infraction, although that last had only occurred a couple of times, the most recent being nearly eight centuries before the writing of the book.

John was fascinated, but the next page drew his attention back to his current problem. "Perils of Regeneration," he murmured. "Now we're getting somewhere." He eagerly scanned the section, searching for anything like 'neural implosions' or 'collapsing brains'. Finally, he hit upon a likely candidate: Neural Damage and Loss of Capacity.

The new chapter described how – due to certain circumstances, such as excessive exposure to certain kinds of radiation or delay of regeneration – a malfunction in the clearance of free radicals from the Time Lord's brain could occur. These radicals then resulted in decaying of the neural tissue.

John tried to think back to his university years. As a trauma surgeon, it had been a long time since he'd had to consider some of the more extraneous details of biology and brain chemistry, but from what he remembered, that explanation of free radical damage made sense even on a human level. And if he recalled his immunology introductory course correctly, anti-oxidants were what cleared excess radicals. So now he just needed something containing anti-oxidants that he could get into the Wolf's stomach.

John frowned. "Problem is, we don't have anything like that in here," he muttered to himself. Frustrated, he stood up to go back to his bedroom to check on the Wolf, lugging the heavy book with him.

When he got back, Kate was hunched over a computer screen. "Hey, come check this out," she called him over when she noticed him the doorway. "I've got access to the military. Just used that same code the Wolf gave me last time with the Slitheen." She grinned at the memory. "Anyway, they're tracking a spaceship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way," she said more seriously.

"How fast?" John asked.

"Very."

"Okay, so then, what's it coming for? This has to be the shark the pilot fish crowd around, so is it the Wolf?" John wondered.

"I don't know. Maybe it's coming for all of us," Kate shrugged. "Oh, hang on." A video alert popped up. Kate clicked on it, and four of the aliens from before appeared. "So you haven't seen them before?" she asked.

"No," John answered grimly.

The aliens began speaking again. Their guttural language sort of reminded John of one of the species from Star Trek. Cling-up? No, Klingon, that was it.

"Can you still understand them?" Kate asked.

"Yeah."

"What are they saying?"

"Nothing much different from before. The Sycorax are superior, the cattle – I guess that's us – will be enslaved, they will conquer the planet, the whole resistance is futile spiel," John said drily.

Kate gave him a strange look. "Did you just quote Star Trek at me?" she wanted to know.

John shrugged. "Had it on the brain."

She chuckled. "Well, not to spoil the mood, but it looks like the ship will be here in five hours. Did you find anything to help the Wolf?"

"Oh! Yeah, I did. Maybe. I'm not actually sure? But, the problem might be free radicals. Seems like they could cause the neural implosion the Wolf was talking about." He showed her the book, but Kate just looked at it blankly.

"You could read this?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah, TARDIS translated it."

"Weird how she's working for you still."

"Yeah – oh, hold on. They're speaking again."

"Okay, and it looks like UNIT developed some kind of translation software. They can read it now, there's the transcript."

"Cattle. You belong to us. To the Sycorax. We own you," John read aloud. "We now possess your land, your minerals, your precious stones. You will surrender or they will die. Sycorax strong, Sycorax mighty, Sycorax – rock?"

"They will die," Kate murmured.

"What?" John asked.

"The aliens didn't say you will die, they said they will die. Who's they?"

"I don't know, but that's the right translation. He said 'they', not 'you'."

"UNIT's sending a reply," Kate brought his attention back to the screen. "This is a day of peace on planet Earth. We extend that peace to the Sycorax. But this planet is armed, and we do not surrender?" Kate cocked her head. "That's a load of crap, 'we're armed'. We don't have missiles that can reach that far into space, especially UNIT. They're a science organization. They don't build weapons like that anymore."

"Maybe she doesn't mean UNIT, Kate," John told her. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that there's always someone else with a bigger gun."

"So what do we do?" she asked.

John shook his head. "I don't know yet. I need to get something for the Wolf, but I don't want to leave the TARDIS again with the pilot fish milling about. But we're running out of time."

* * *

As dawn was breaking, the UNIT translator came back online, along with the video feed. John nudged Kate, who had been napping for the last couple hours, and pointed at the screen. "They got the message, and now they're responding," he said quietly.

The Sycorax spokesperson didn't say anything this time, merely held out his hand, letting a blue energy play over it.

"What was that?" Kate asked when the energy disappeared.

"I don't know. Maybe that was the reply?"

"But it didn't even do anything," Kate protested.

Just then, as if to belay Kate's words, the TARDIS began sounding an alarm and turning her lights on and off rapidly. Kate clapped her hands over her ears. "What's she doing?" she yelled over the blaring signal.

"I have no idea!" John shouted back. "Come on!" With a glance at the Wolf, who seemed undisturbed by all the noise, John ran for the console room. "TARDIS, shut if off!" he yelled at the ship, which immediately fell silent.

Kate shook her head, trying to clear the ringing from her ears. "What was that about?"

"Yes, what _was_ that about, love?" he asked the ceiling. In response, the monitor flicked on again to the news. Kate gasped at the images of hundreds, no, thousands of people lined up along the edges of roofs, the videos seeming to come from all around the globe.

"What?" she wondered.

"According to reports, one third of the world's population has mysteriously gathered on high-rise buildings, ready to jump. Anything with stairs, two billion people are ready to jump. We don't know yet what caused this to occur, and authorities around the world are baffled." The news suddenly turned off.

Kate moved to the doors, but John grabbed her and pulled her back. "What are you doing?" she objected.

"We don't know what's causing this event to occur. So if you go out there, and something happens to you, the Brig will have my head. And I'm a little scared of him," John reasoned. "So we're staying put."

"What, forever?" Kate said sarcastically.

"This is the only safe place on Earth right now. So yes, for right now, we're hiding," he informed her. "I've traveled, I've seen all that stuff, but right now, I'm stuck here. Right now, I'm useless."

The news turned on once more. John turned to see Harriet sitting in a paneled room at a desk. "Ladies and gentlemen, if I may take a moment during this terrible time. It's hardly the Queen's speech. I'm afraid that's been canceled." Pausing, she looked off camera. "Did we ask about the royal family?" she said quietly. "Oh. They're on the roof. But, ladies and gentlemen, this crisis is unique, and I'm afraid to say, it might get much worse. I would ask you all to remain calm. But I have one request. Wolf, if you're out there, we need you." John's heart clenched. "I don't know what to do. If you can hear me, Wolf. If anyone knows the Wolf, if anyone can find her, the situation has never been more desperate. Help us. Please, Wolf. Help us. God help us."

The transmission ended. John sat in the jump chair, his face in his hands. "I don't know what to do. She might as well be really gone, because I don't know what to do." He looked up at Kate. "What do we do?" he asked hopelessly before burying his face again.

Kate shook her head, sitting next to him. "I'll give you a tenner if you can tell me, 'cause I haven't got a clue," she joked.

John's eyes snapped open. He whirled to look at Kate, surprising her. "Say that again."

"What?"

"Say that again!" he demanded.

"I'll give you a tenner, that bit?" she asked warily.

"Tenner. Tenner, tenner, tenner, tenner-tenner-tenner-tannin. Tannin!" John exclaimed. "Tannin is an anti-oxidant, she needs tannin!" John ran off.

"Where are you going?" Kate yelled after him.

"To make some tea!"


	3. Earth's Champion

**A/N: Whew! This is the longest chapter I've written yet for this universe. It was like the Energizer Bunny. It just kept going and going and going and …**

**And when is the best time for me to stop saying that this is a sequel and go read the first one first? Is it now? I think it's now. We're going with now.**

_Previously: "Tannin!" John exclaimed. "Tannin is an anti-oxidant, she needs tannin!" John ran off._

"_Where are you going?" Kate yelled after him._

"_To make some tea!"_

* * *

Earth's Champion

John rushed into the kitchen, quickly setting a pot of water on to boil. Dashing to a cupboard, he grabbed the first jar of tea he saw and rapidly prepared the cup as he waited for the water. Kate finally arrived as he paced impatiently.

"Mind filling me in?" she requested.

"Tannin is an anti-oxidant found in tea. If I've interpreted the book correctly, anti-oxidants are what the Wolf's mind needs to repair the neural damage the regeneration caused. Assuming any kind of anti-oxidant works, that is. If not, I don't know what I can do. I've got nothing else," John explained at lightning speed, his pacing not missing a step.

"Okay, well, calm down John. Fretting until you're sick isn't going to help matters any," Kate said, resting a hand on this arm as he passed her.

John stopped next to her and sighed, scrubbing his face with his hands. He hadn't slept since waking up on the Game Station, and counting the four hours stuck on Earth after the Wolf sent him home, he was getting close to having been awake for fifty hours. As a surgeon, he had worked shifts this long and longer with only catnaps, but after the whole opening of the TARDIS deal, which he was still trying to remember the details of, he had been exhausted. And he hadn't been able to slow down since, not allowing himself to sleep as he kept vigil over the Wolf.

John's brooding was suddenly interrupted by the sharp whistle of the kettle. He snatched the pot, nearly scalding himself in his haste, and finished off the tea. He grabbed the mug to take straight to the Wolf. "Cool this off, girl?" he asked the TARDIS. That had been a wonderful discovery in happier times, the ship being able to cool food and drink so her inhabitants didn't get third degree burns in their mouth.

Kate followed him closely. "How are you going to get her to drink it?" she asked.

"Her reflexes should kick in. She won't choke as long as I don't give her too much all at once." As soon as he was in the room, John climbed up onto the bed behind the Wolf, carefully tilting her head up to rest on his knees as he brought the cup to her mouth. He gradually tipped in small sips, waiting for the Wolf to swallow before giving her a little more.

When half the tea was gone, John set the cup down, lowered the Wolf's head back to the mattress, and waited expectantly. "How long do you think it will take for it to kick in?" Kate asked.

"No idea. I'd say give it twenty or thirty minutes. At least. If nothing's happened by then, I'll look through the book again, try to find anything else." Both of them grew quiet.

Fifteen minutes later, Kate spoke up. "No chance you could fly this thing?" she wondered.

"I don't think so. Not anymore."

"Anymore?"

"The Wolf sent me back to Earth yesterday. We were trapped by Daleks. She got grazed by one of their lasers, and tricked me into the TARDIS and made it take off without her in it – come back here. After a while, and a _lot_ of convincing, I got the TARDIS to open her heart, and I think I flew us back to the Game Station. Then the Daleks were gone, and the Wolf regenerated, and you know the rest," John replied, giving her a condensed version of his hellish day.

"If you did it before, why can't you now?"

"I don't know. It's almost like it's been wiped from my head, or at least most of it. I can remember bits, but not a lot of the details. It's sort of like something's warning me – like if I try it again, the whole universe rips in half," he explained.

Kate chuckled. "Ah. Better not then." Just then, the TARDIS gave a slight, almost unnoticeable shudder. The ship blipped once, then fell silent. "What was that?" Kate wondered.

"I don't know. Maybe something to do with the spaceship. We'd better go check the monitor again."

"What about the Wolf?" she asked.

John looked over at the sleeping Wolf sadly. "I'm not sure if it's going to work at all if it hasn't by now. I must have messed something up. Right now, that ship in the sky is the only problem we have the slightest chance of being able to handle. I'll try to wake up the Wolf again when that's taken care of. Or, the entire Earth's population will be dead, and it won't matter." With that, shoulders slumped, he walked out, Kate following behind.

Ten seconds after they left, the Wolf took a deep breath, expelling a cloud of golden energy.

* * *

"Anything on the news?" Kate asked.

"Nothing seems to have changed," John answered. "The government seems to be at a standstill, especially since most of them appear to be on one roof or another. Oh, here's some bad news. Harriet Jones, Prime Minister, her top aide, Alex, and Dr. Llewellyn, the head scientist on the Guinevere One project have all evidently disappeared from a secure location, along with a high-ranking UNIT officer. Odd."

"My father?" Kate asked, worried.

"Doesn't say."

"Well, I want to check outside, see these people on the roof for myself. See if anything's changed with them," Kate told him.

"Be careful," John replied absently, switching channels on the monitor. He vaguely heard the TARDIS door open as Kate took a couple steps outside.

Suddenly, a scream tore through the air, causing John to jerk his head up. "Kate?" he asked, worried. "Kate!" He ran for the exit, bursting through the doors to find himself somehow on what he recognized as the Sycorax ship from the UNIT video feed, and Kate being dragged toward another pair of humans by one of the aliens.

Two of the Sycorax spotted John's entrance and stalked toward him menacingly. John made a split second decision, leaping backwards to pull the doors closed before the two aliens were on him. They dragged him over to Kate and the others, and John suppressed the urge to thrash and fight his way free, not wanting to provoke the Sycorax to violence and possibly bring harm to the other three humans.

Once they were near, the two Sycorax tossed John towards the group. A pair of arms caught him when he stumbled and almost did a face plant. The Sycorax cheered.

"John! John! I've got you. My Lord. Oh, my precious boy. The Wolf, is she with you?" Harriet Jones asked quickly.

John shook his head, defeated. "No, we're on our own for this one."

"The spiky man. He has the clever blue box. Therefore, he speaks for your planet," the Sycorax that appeared to be the leader announced, with Alex, Harriet's aide, repeating at a slower pace.

"But he can't," Harriet protested.

Kate walked forward, looking like she wanted to give the aliens a piece of her mind, but John caught her before she could say anything and pushed her back to Harriet's side. "You, quiet," he warned the teen. "I'm getting you home to the Brig in one piece. I swear it. And I can," he told Harriet. "Someone's got to be the Wolf right now."

"They'll kill you," Harriet objected.

John shrugged. "Never stopped her." He turned to face the coliseum of Sycorax. _I am an idiot_, he thought. "Er, as one of the citizen's of Earth, I address the Sycorax," he began. "You have, with no provocation, invaded this planet unjustly. I demand, according to – Article Fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation, that you vacate this airspace immediately," John tried. He had no idea what that meant, but it sounded official and threatening. "I have seen creatures that would make your race quiver, and someone greater than you defeated them. If you do not leave this planet in peace, I swear by all of your gods, the Bad Wolf will see you pay," he warned.

The entire ship was silent for a brief moment before the Sycorax burst into a grating laughter. "You are very funny, and now you are going to die," the leader said.

"I warned you," John answered before Alex could translate.

"You understand them?" Harriet broke in.

"You still can't?" John asked Kate, looking back to see her shaking her head. "Why is she still translating for me but not you?" he wondered.

"Maybe it's the Wolf," Kate surmised. "Like she's part of the circuit, and she's broken?"

"That doesn't explain me, though," John denied.

_The heart of the TARDIS,_ a voice whispered in the back of his mind in a musical tone.

"Maybe it's because of what I did," John told Kate, thinking his subconscious had a point. She just shrugged.

"Maybe. You didn't really tell me much, so I don't know," she replied.

"If I might interrupt," the Sycorax leader broke in, sounding impatient.

John turned back around. "My bad."

"Did you think you were clever with your stolen words? We are the Sycorax, we stride the darkness. Next to us, you are but a wailing child. If you are the best your planet can offer as a champion, then your world will be gutted, and your people enslaved," the alien threatened.

Alex hesitated in his translation. "Hold on, that's English," he said, bewildered.

"He's talking English," Harriet added.

John whirled around. "You can hear English?" he questioned. "He's talking English?"

"I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile," the Sycorax protested.

"Was that English? Can you still hear English?" John asked.

"Yeah, that's English," Kate said.

"Definitely English," Alex confirmed.

"I speak only Sycoraxic!" the leader proclaimed.

John turned back around to face him, now smugly confident. "If they can hear English, then it's being translated. Which means the TARDIS is working, which means –"

As one, all four humans turned to stare at the TARDIS as both doors swung open to reveal the Wolf in all her sweat pants glory, a self-satisfied grin on her face. "Did you miss me?" she asked.

With a roar, the Sycorax leader cracked his whip, but the Wolf caught it by the end and yanked, jerking it from his grasp and throwing it behind her. "Oi, you could have someone's eye out with that," she muttered.

"You dare!" the leader yelled. Another Sycorax charged the Wolf brandishing a club, but she just pulled it from his grasp when she side-stepped it, sending him hurtling to the ground with a blow across the back before breaking the club in half across her knee.

"You just can't get the staff," she complained. She marched forward, pointing at the Sycorax leader threateningly. "Now you, just wait. I'm busy," she warned him. That finished, the Wolf turned to face John and the rest. She did a double-take when she saw the teenager in the group. "Kate?" she asked, confused. Kate just waved. The Wolf grinned, giving her a hug. "Hello! And Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. Blimey, it's like _This is Your Life_." She looked over at John. "Tea!" she declared happily. "That's all I needed, a good cup of tea! Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the synapses. How did you know? Oh!" she exclaimed, abruptly changing topics. "But first things first. Be honest. How do I look?" she asked John in a very serious voice.

"Er," John stuttered, "different?"

The Wolf raised her eyebrows, skeptical. "Good different, or bad different?"

John shrugged. "Just different," he tried, attempting to not dig himself into a hole he would never escape from.

If possible, the Wolf got even more solemn. "Am I. Ginger."

John shook his head. "No, you're just sort of – blonde," he replied, waving his hand around his own hair.

The Wolf closed her eyes and sighed in relief. "Oh, thank the gods! I was almost ginger once. Dreadful color, that is. Doesn't suit me at all, wouldn't you say?" she asked, sounding cheerful. "But you!" she went on before he could answer. "Johnny boy. Brilliant you were at the end but you almost gave up on me! Oh, that's rude," she said, voice quieting down as John just stared at her, lost at the abrupt changes in conversation. "Is that the sort of woman I am now? Am I rude?" the Wolf wondered, completely ignoring everyone else. She cocked her head. "Rude and not ginger."

"I'm sorry," Harriet interjected. "Who is this?"

"I'm the Wolf," the Wolf said.

"She's the Wolf," John agreed.

"But what happened to my Wolf?" Harriet protested. "Or is it a title that's just passed on?"

"I'm her. I'm literally her," the Wolf clarified. "Same woman, new face. Well, new everything," she finished, smirking.

"But you can't be," Harriet denied.

The Wolf sobered. "Harriet Jones," she said seriously, "we were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens. It wasn't the war. It was the thought of your mother being on her own."

"Oh, my God," Harriet whispered.

The Wolf brightened. "Did you win the election?" she asked.

Harriet smiled proudly. "Landslide majority."

"If I might interrupt," the forgotten Sycorax leader broke in again.

The Wolf turned to face him. "Yes, sorry," she apologized quickly. "Hello big fella."

"Who exactly are you?" the alien asked, sounding put out.

The Wolf huffed in amusement. "Well, that's the question."

Out of patience, the Sycorax roared, "I demand to know who you are!"

"I. Don't. Know!" the Wolf roared right back before rapidly regaining her composure. "See, that's the thing. I'm the Wolf, but beyond that, I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested. Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy?" she winked at John, causing him to blush and look down. "Right old misery? Life and soul? Right handed? Left handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob."

As the Wolf rambled on, John couldn't help but notice how different this Wolf was from his first. Sure, the other Wolf had talked a lot, but this was taking it to a whole new level. She was also – almost sort of bouncy. She reminded him a lot of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh.

"And how am I going to react when I see this," the Wolf continued, sounding gleeful as she looked over at the platform behind the Sycorax leader, "a great big threatening button. A great big threatening button which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right? Let me guess. It's some sort of control matrix, hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?" She ran up to it, kneeling at the base and opening it up, revealing a bowl containing some kind of fluid. "And what've we got here? Blood?" she wondered, dipping a finger in the bowl before bringing to her mouth.

"No, Wolf, don't put –" John started, but it was too late.

"Yeah, definitely blood. Human blood," the Wolf confirmed after tasting the blood, making a disgusted sound. "A Positive, with just a dash of iron. Ah, but that means blood control. Blood control!" she exclaimed, excited. "Oh, I haven't seen blood control in years! You're controlling all the A Positives," she realized.

"But I'm A Positive," Kate interrupted. "Why wasn't I affected?"

"Oh, the TARDIS protected you. She does things like that," the Wolf dismissed. "But that leaves us with a great big stinking problem. Because I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a great big threatening button which should never, ever, ever be pressed, then I just want to do this." Without warning, the Wolf slammed her hand down on said threatening button, causing the four humans to shout in alarm.

"You killed them!" Alex accused, shocked.

The Wolf looked over at the Sycorax leader. "What do you think, big fellow?" she asked. "Are they dead?"

"We allow them to live," the leader said begrudgingly.

"Allow?" the Wolf scoffed. "You've no choice. I mean, that's all blood control is. A cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis. You can hypnotize someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis. You can't hypnotize them to death. Survival instinct's too strong," she informed them.

"Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force," the Sycorax threatened.

The Wolf made a considering face. "Well, yeah, you could, yeah, you could do that," she nodded, "of course you could. But why?" she asked. "Look at these people. These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun, there is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than – No, hold on." The Wolf looked down, confused, shaking her head. "Sorry, that's The Lion King. But the point still stands," she said, sounding annoyed. "Leave them alone!"

John narrowed his eyes when the Wolf started quoting Disney, but couldn't hold back his grin when she realized it and stumbled. This new Wolf was something else. Sudden movement drew his attention back to the confrontation in front of him, just in time to see the Wolf take a sword from a soldier and run back toward the TARDIS.

"I challenge you!" she declared, wielding a weapon that was almost as long as she was tall, in her sweatpants, but managing to look fierce all the same. There was a general roaring throughout the coliseum at the Wolf's words. She perked up. "Oh, that struck a chord."

"Wolf, what are you doing?" John hissed.

"Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?" she asked the leader, ignoring John.

"You stand as this world's champion?" the Sycorax commander asked, skeptical.

The Wolf raised her eyebrows. "Thank you. I have no idea who I am, but you just summed me up." She lifted her sword, pointing it at the Sycorax. "So do you accept my challenge, or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?" It sounded like and insult to John, but the TARDIS refused to translate that one.

The general stiffened. "For the planet?" he clarified, finally taking the woman seriously.

"For the planet," the Wolf confirmed.

Without warning, the Sycorax ran at the Wolf, and their swords met with a clang. The warrior released his blade with one hand to swipe at the Wolf, knocking her smaller body to the ground. He swung down at her.

"Look out!" John yelled as the Wolf rolled away from the incoming sword.

"Oh, yeah, that helps," the Wolf growled at him as she scrambled to her feet. "Wouldn't have thought of that otherwise, thanks."

John couldn't help rolling his eyes at the Wolf's snark, despite his worry. The Sycorax leader was the obvious better swordsman, but the Wolf managed to hold him off even as he backed her up a tunnel. Looking off to the side, she slammed a camouflaged button, opening a door to the outside of the ship.

"Bit of fresh air?" she asked, jogging out as several Sycorax and the four humans followed. John could now see that the spaceship was hovering over London, just inside the lower cloud bank.

The leader continued to drive the Wolf backwards until, finally, she was mere feet from the edge. Taking advantage of some mistake of the Wolf's, the Sycorax punched her square on the nose. She stumbled back. John took a step forward, wanting to do something to help, but the Wolf flung out her arm, stopping him in his tracks.

"Stay back!" she warned him sharply. "Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet."

The Sycorax took advantage of the Wolf's brief distraction and knocked her to the ground, his sword quickly following. The Wolf's cry of pain was drowned out by the general's roar of triumph.

"You cut my hand off," the Wolf said in surprise.

"Sycorax!" he shouted to his subordinates, who yelled back their approval.

John wanted to run over to help the Wolf as she got to her feet, but her warning kept him still. He looked in horror at her right arm, which was now absent one hand. However, breaking through his fear for the Wolf, the medical part of his mind was curious as to why there was no blood coming from the wound.

The Sycorax leader turned back to the Wolf, obviously ready to finish her off, but she spoke, forestalling his actions. "And now I know what sort of woman I am," she told him. "I'm lucky. Because quite by chance, I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle, which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy to do this." She held up her arm, which was surrounded by the golden energy John had seen before. A hand appeared to magically grow out of her shorn wrist, causing John's eyes to widen in amazement.

The Sycorax were stunned as well. "Witchcraft," the leader muttered uneasily.

"Time Lord," the Wolf corrected him.

John snatched a sword from the sheath of a soldier standing near him. "Wolf!" he called, tossing the blade to her hilt first.

The Wolf grabbed it out of the air. "Still sure I'm the Wolf then?" she teased.

"No arguments from me," John grinned.

"And d'you want to know the best bit?" she asked the Sycorax leader, spinning her sword. "This new hand? It's a fighting hand!" she proclaimed in a cowboy-Western accent. She quickly engaged the alien, taking advantage of his surprise and fear, disarming him and taking both swords. The Wolf walloped him in the gut with both sword hilts, knocking him to the ground right on the edge of the ship, where she had lay not two minutes before. She placed the tip of one sword just under his nose so that the leader had to cross his eyes just to keep an eye on it. "I win," she declared.

"Then kill me," he spat.

"I'll spare your life if you take this champion's command. Leave this planet, and never return," she warned. "What do you say?"

"Yes," the leader said begrudgingly.

That wasn't enough for the Wolf. She moved even closer, pressing the edge of the blade up against his face. "Swear on the blood of your species," she growled.

"I swear," he capitulated, sounding frightened.

And with that, the Wolf relaxed. "There we are, then. Thanks for that. Cheers, big fellow," she said blithely, tossing her sword away.

"Bravo!" Harriet cried as the Wolf walked over to them.

John applauded. "That says it all, bravo," he agreed, pulling the Wolf into a hug.

"Not bad for a girl in her jim-jams," the Wolf bragged. "Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice fellow." She looked over when John took her replacement hand to inspect it. "I'm fine, Johnny," she said gently, extricating herself from his worried fingers. "See, look." She stooped down and grabbed a rock from ground, tossing it up in the air and catching it with her new hand. "Perfectly functional. Someone's been put on the Naughty List," she teased, showing John the black rock. "Would you like some coal?" she grinned.

"We're talking about this later," John said sternly, refusing to be distracted by her antics. The Wolf just smiled innocently up at him.

The Sycorax leader, forgotten, snatched the Wolf's tossed aside sword and ran at her back, roaring in fury. Hard-faced, the Wolf threw the rock that she had been playing with at a control on the spaceship hull. A piece of the wing opened up, dropping the Sycorax as he screamed.

"No second chances," she said stonily. "I'm that sort of woman."

Together, the two of them walked back into the interior of the spaceship, standing in front of the TARDIS with Harriet and Alex behind them. "By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time," the Wolf declared to the masses of Sycorax. "And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet, when you tell them of it's riches, it's people, it's potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this. It is defended," she snarled. Without another sound from the aliens, the four humans and the TARDIS were beamed back to the Earth's surface.

* * *

John looked on sadly as the Wolf whispered something into Alex's ear, causing Harriet to panic. He truly liked the older woman, and he wished that she hadn't made such a huge mistake in blowing up the Sycorax spaceship as it retreated. He had thought that maybe the Wolf was being a little harsh in threatening to bring down Harriet's entire government, but then he remembered the thousands of lives on that craft. For all they had attempted to conquer the world, they had been leaving. They hadn't been a threat any longer.

So he remained silent as Alex walked away with Harriet following, still anxious. They and Kate stayed put, somber for a few moments, before a ring tone suddenly sounded. Kate started, but dug into her pocket, pulling out her cell phone. "It's my father," she told them, grinning as she answered. "Dad!" she said excitedly. "You'll never _believe_ where I've been!" she bounded off to explain to the Brig in private.

John shook his head at her exuberance, and looked down just to find the Wolf doing the same. They smiled at each other in amusement, but John sobered. "Did you need to do that?" he asked her quietly. "With Harriet, just now?"

The Wolf scowled. "Earth is dangerous, John," she told him. "Future exploration not withstanding, this planet's first alien interactions are – rough, to put it lightly. And not all of it is because you were invaded. Your planet is a threat to peaceful species, as well. I'm sorry, very sorry, that Harriet is a part of the reason that that is your future, but she just planted herself there. She needed to be shut down before she took it further, because she would have," the Wolf finished, her eyes sad. "It's a shame. She is a truly lovely person."

John was kept from replying when Kate jogged up. "Hey!" she called. "Father said to invite you two to Christmas dinner." The Wolf opened her mouth, but Kate rushed to continue before she could interrupt. "And that before you protest, Wolf, to tell you that Mum insisted."

The Wolf blanched. "Well, we can't ignore a direct order from Doris. Blimey," she ran a hand through her hair worriedly. John grinned at the sight that at least one of her nervous tics had survived her regeneration. "There's a frightening thought."

* * *

A couple of hours later, John was in the kitchen, assisting Doris Lethbridge-Stewart, who was not nearly as terrifying as the Wolf seemed to think she was, with dinner preparations. The Wolf was nowhere to be seen, having disappeared into the TARDIS that was currently parked in the front yard – having carefully avoided Doris' flower garden – to change and, in John's opinion, to get out of helping with something as domestic as Christmas dinner. Kate was in the other room, talking at a mile a minute with the Brig about her exciting day.

"Kate apparently managed to have fun today," he observed.

Doris shook her head in exasperation. "I sometimes forget she's still just a teenager, she's so mature and intelligent. But she's too much like her father. Earth is never going to be enough for her. She wants to join UNIT after university, did she tell you?" she asked him.

John nodded. "She mentioned it once, after the whole Slitheen thing."

"I worry about that girl sometimes, I do," Doris sighed. "Kate's too curious and adventurous; she ends up in trouble more often than not."

John chuckled. "Sounds like someone else I know," he admitted.

Doris smiled back. "Yes, if I hadn't carried the girl myself, I'd worry she wasn't mine," she joked, surprising a full laugh out of John.

As he sputtered, the Wolf made her reappearance. Doris, still laughing a bit, had turned back to the stove, and the Brig and Kate were still deep in discussion, so John was the only one who saw her for a minute.

She leaned against the door frame, smiling fondly at the scene in front of her. John grinned over at her, appraising her new outfit. The sweats and tee were gone. Taking their places were a dark blue pair of jeans, not the black she had been fond of wearing, which perfectly matched the deep blue leather jacket she wore over a purple-y tank.

John thought her new outfit looked fairly normal, until his eyes went to the ground and he saw that she had bright red Chucks on her feet. He shook his head at the fashion statement. "Hey Wolf," he called, letting Doris know that she was there.

Doris turned quickly. "Oh, my dear, let's have a look at you," she said, walking over to inspect the Wolf. The Wolf fidgeted, but held still for the older-looking woman until she was satisfied. "Well, you just get younger, don't you, Wolf?" Doris asked.

The Wolf grinned. "You know I can't completely control what I look like, Doris," she teased. "I can only influence."

Doris harrumphed. "Some people are just lucky like that. Now here." She handed the Wolf a stack of plates. "You can go put these on the table, since you've decided to grace us with your presence now that most of the work is done," she ordered sternly, but with a twinkle in her eye.

The Wolf nodded, looking sufficiently cowed. "Yes ma'am." She moved toward the dining room, and nearly collided with Kate as the younger girl came running into the kitchen, barely managing to save the plates before they crashed to the floor.

"Wolf, sorry! Nice outfit," Kate apologized hurriedly. "You guys, you have to see this. It's snowing outside! Come on!" She dashed back out of the room, leaving the three adults staring.

Doris shook her head. "That girl," she muttered. "We'd better go and look, before she comes back."

The Wolf and John grinned and followed the woman out the front door, where the Brig and Kate were already standing. John looked up at the sky, the Wolf next to him, both of them silent as they stood a little ways away from the small family.

After a minute, John leaned towards the Wolf. "You know, it seems a bit too warm to be snowing," he mentioned quietly.

"That's because it isn't snow, it's ash," the Wolf confirmed, just as quietly. "And those 'meteors'?" She pointed, and John noticed the bright flashes crossing the sky. "That's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere."

"Not so beautiful, when you look at it that way," John agreed, grimacing.

"This is a brand new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now," the Wolf observed. "Everyone saw it. Everything's new."

"And you?" John asked. "You just keep traveling?"

"Why, aren't you coming?" the Wolf asked worriedly.

John shrugged. "I thought maybe, 'cause you'd changed, you might not want me along," he said nervously.

"Of course I want you to come!" the Wolf exclaimed. The other three turned to look at John and the Wolf when they heard her outburst. Embarrassed, she quickly composed herself. "I'd love you to come," she repeated quietly.

John sighed with relief. "Oh, thank God," he said, smiling now. The Wolf smiled happily back and reached out her hand. John took it without hesitation. "So, where are we going to go first?" he asked.

The Wolf looked up at the stars, thinking. "Erm, that way," she said, pointing up. "No, hold on." She moved her hand a few degrees to the right. "That way," she decided, looking over to see what John thought.

He nodded. "Yeah, that way," he agreed.

* * *

**A/N: To my guest reviewers, I see you, I read them, I can't reply to you privately, so this is me acknowledging that I love every single one.**


	4. Interlude: Same Page

**A/N: Heyo, first interlude! The Wolf and John need to get back on track.  
And if it wasn't too clear previously, the Wolf's appearance is now that of Rose, but imagine Journey's End Rose, not S2 Rose. Little tougher, little older, bit more capable. And the outfit is similar as well – top the same, bottom half a bit different.**

* * *

Interlude: Same Page

The Brigadier and Doris had insisted they stay until morning, so the Wolf and John had spent the night in the TARDIS in the couple's front yard. The Wolf supercharged Kate's cell phone before they retired for the night, in case any other emergencies ever came up on Earth. Which, more than likely, would happen sooner rather than later.

John had wanted to talk to the Wolf, but seeing his exhaustion, she sent him off to bed as soon as they got back to the ship. John hadn't had a nightmare since their trip to his past and the Reapers, but that night, he relived the Wolf being shot by the Dalek on the Game Station. Only this time, she died in his arms.

He woke in a cold sweat and huddled in the middle of his bed, trying to slow down his breathing. He waited to see if the Wolf would show up, but when his bedroom door remained closed, John assumed that he had managed to stay quiet this time. Ruined for sleep, he got up and took a cold shower to get rid of the remnants of the dream before going off in search of the Wolf. Now was as good as time as any for them to talk.

Without him asking, the TARDIS lit up his room and the hallway outside for John. "Console room?" he asked the ship, pulling on a shirt. The lights flashed once. "Thanks."

When he got there, John found the Wolf nearly completely under the console, digging around in some wires, occasionally cursing as the ship shocked her in retaliation. "You alright down there?" he asked, smiling.

There was a loud thud, followed by angry words in an alien language that the TARDIS refused to translate. Wriggling, the Wolf scooted out from under the console and glared up at him from the floor. "What's the matter with you, John?" she asked, sounding annoyed. "Announce your presence when you enter the room. Don't go sneaking up on unsuspecting people like that." She looked at his feet. "Or at least wear shoes so I can hear you come in."

John looked down at his bare feet in surprise. He'd forgotten about shoes. "I wanted to talk," he said, now looking at the floor uncomfortably. This was the same person who had saved him from his nightmares, but also not. This wasn't the person that had run into his room when he screamed, who had held his hand, and who had given him the chance to say goodbye. But she also was.

"John, what are you doing up? It's the middle of the night, you were exhausted," the Wolf now said worriedly.

"Couldn't sleep." It wasn't a whole lie, it just wasn't the truth.

"Did you have another nightmare?"

"No," John answered quickly. That wasn't really a lie either. He hadn't had the nightmare she was thinking of. The Wolf would just feel guilty if she knew he was dreaming about her instead of the accident.

The Wolf gave him a look, unconvinced, but let it go. "What did you want to talk about, then?" she asked, hauling herself to her feet and collapsing onto the jump chair.

John sighed, leaning up against the console across from her. "This whole regeneration thing," he began. The Wolf stiffened. "Can you just – go over that a bit more?"

She gave him a scrutinizing look. "I thought we had," she said carefully. "What in particular did you want to know?"

"You're still the Wolf, I get that," John tried, causing the Wolf to relax a tiny fraction, "but how much? Everything we did before –" he hesitated, "do you remember it like it was you, or is it just like pictures?" John blew out a frustrated breath. "I'm not asking this right. Okay –"

"I remember everything, John," the Wolf interrupted. "Memories fade with time, as they always do, and I have nine hundred years of them to look back on, but you and I are crystal clear. Like I said, I may look different, but I'm still me. I'm always still me," she reassured him. "It's sort of like when I upgrade my sonic screwdriver. It's the same hardware. Just a different case. I'm still the Wolf. S'just a different case."

John nodded. "I knew that," he told her. "I did. It's just – you died. That Dalek shot you, and then I wasn't there, and then you died, and I just –" he stopped. The Wolf got up and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly.

"I know," she whispered. "I know." Taking John by the hand, she had him sit down next to her on the jump seat again, tucking her legs up beneath her as she leaned on him. "I should have told you sooner, and for that, I'm sorry," the Wolf apologized. "But who really wants to talk about dying, and a regeneration can last for over a century – my first lasted nearly a hundred and fifty years – so not many of my companions ever actually see me regenerate. I didn't think it would ever be necessary, and that was a mistake on my part."

"Your first?" John asked. "So how many have you had?"

"This is my ninth regeneration, so my tenth body," the Wolf told him, looking to see how he would take that.

John just nodded absently, absorbing all the new information flying at him. "And your hand?" he wanted to know. "That Sycorax guy sliced it clean off, how did you fix that?"

The Wolf chuckled. "That was just a lucky fluke," she admitted. "Time Lord's are vulnerable immediately after their regeneration, as you saw. We build up excess regeneration energy – that golden cloud I was expelling – that can repair damage incurred within the first fifteen hours after the change."

John frowned. "Why fifteen? You couldn't just make it a normal twenty-four hours?"

The Wolf gave him the look that made him feel like he'd just dribbled on his shirt. Something else that had carried over. John had sort of been hoping that one wouldn't make a reappearance. "Twenty-four hours is a human Earth day, John," she said slowly. "Fifteen hours is half of a Gallifreyan day."

"Oh," John muttered, feeling stupid.

The Wolf nudged him with her shoulder, and he looked up to see her grinning. "Stop sulking," she told him. "Now, do you feel better, or did you have anything else you wanted to talk about?"

John shook his head. "No, I'm good."

"Good, because I have a few questions of my own." The Wolf got serious. "How did you know how to fix me? I mean, tea of all things. I was in a coma, hours away from my brain shutting down entirely, and you somehow come up with _the_ miracle cure. Anti-oxidants – tannin, more specifically. How did you do that?"

John shrugged. "The TARDIS helped me."

"She told you?" the Wolf asked in shock.

"No. No, nothing like that. Here, I'll show you." John pulled the Wolf off the jump seat and led her back to his bedroom.

"That's another thing," the Wolf said from behind him. "Why did I wake up in your room?"

John looked back at her, his face tinged with the slightest hint of red. "I carried you back into the TARDIS after you collapsed on the street, but she wouldn't let me into any room but my own. You were unconscious – I couldn't really put up a fight about it. I'm pretty sure your ship was laughing at me the whole time, though."

The Wolf snorted. "The old girl can be a bit of a troublemaker," she admitted. "Aren't you love?" she asked the ceiling. The ship hummed in agreement.

_Always_.

The two of them reached his room, and John pulled the history book off of his dresser, handing it to the Wolf. "The TARDIS took me to the library and practically shone a spotlight on the table over this book. I flipped through it, found a section about regeneration and potential problems, and read something about how it could cause a malfunction with free radicals. I knew anti-oxidants cleared free radicals, but it took me a while to come up with tannin." John shrugged. "I thought it didn't work. It took you a while to wake up."

"The damage to my head was pretty severe, the repair –" the Wolf trailed off when she saw the cover of the book. She gazed at it for a moment, lifted her head to stare at John, looked back down at the book, and back at him.

John fidgeted nervously. "What?" he asked. "Was I not supposed to read it? Sorry, but the TARDIS showed it to me, and it did help –"

"You can read this?" the Wolf interrupted.

"Yeeeaah?" John tried, unsure what the correct response was. "Is that alright?"

The Wolf looked back down at the book before putting the cover in his face. "What does that say?" she asked.

"A History. It's really not that complicated," John answered.

"Not complicated," the Wolf muttered derisively. She opened to a random page. "This doesn't look strange to you at all?" she wanted to know, shoving the book in his face again.

"Well, at first, it just looked like a bunch of circles and lines, but then the TARDIS translated for me, like she always does," John replied. "Is that strange?"

The Wolf hesitated for a long moment before shaking her head. "No, it's not. But that's beside the point. I happen to be very angry with you right now, Johnny boy."

John raised his eyebrows. "Me?" he asked, surprised. "What did I do?"

"That whole stunt back at the Game Station?" the Wolf reminded him.

"Oh." John suddenly remembered everything that had happened over the last seventy-two hours.

"'Oh', he says," the Wolf growled. "Come on," she ordered, pulling him out of the bedroom. "We're going to the Med Bay to check you over. What do you remember about the most boneheaded thing you will ever do in your entire life?"

"I remember how you tricked me into the TARDIS and sent me here against my will," John shot back. The Wolf had the decency to look a bit guilty. "After we got to Earth, I yelled at the TARDIS a bit –" The ship interrupted with an angry chime. "Okay, more than a bit," John amended. "I was a little pissed off."

"I won't apologize for that," the Wolf said firmly. "Go on."

John gave her a look. "I stormed out, ended up in some skate park near some estate complex. There, I saw the words 'Wolf Storm' graffiti-ed onto the concrete, and it got me thinking about how we kept seeing it everywhere."

"I was wondering if you'd noticed that," the Wolf muttered as they entered the Med Bay.

"I had," John informed her. "I went back to the TARDIS, and convinced her to open up her heart, like she did with the Slitheen." John rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "After that, the details get a bit fuzzy. I remember being on the Game Station again, and a lot of Daleks and golden energy. Kind of like the stuff coming out of you," he realized. The Wolf just motioned for him to continue. "My head was hurting pretty bad, but then the Daleks were gone and –" the Wolf stiffened, " – were we talking?" he asked.

The Wolf relaxed and pushed him towards the bed. "Sit. And yes, we did speak. You remember what we said?"

John shook his head. "No. What was it?"

"Mostly me trying to convince you to release the damn power before you fried your brain," the Wolf answered vaguely. "Now, lie back," she instructed. "I want to see if you did any permanent damage with that little stunt of yours."

John frowned at her reticence but did as he was told. They were both silent for over half an hour as the Wolf checked him over with various machines to make sure that he was alright. John was content to simply watch the Wolf as she worked. She was frowning, but her hands were as gentle as they always were when she looked after him.

They were so soothing that he almost fell asleep on the examination bed, slipping into a doze until the Wolf quietly roused him. "Johnny, we're done." He slowly sat up, yawning. "Off to bed with you. You shouldn't spend the night in here."

John rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Everything alright?" he asked.

The Wolf gave him an affectionate smile. "Despite your best efforts, you are perfectly fine," she told him. "Now go." She gave him a gentle shove. "Get some sleep while you can. We'll talk more in the morning."

John nodded. "Night," he muttered, walking away.

The Wolf's smile slid off her face as soon as John left. She looked over his test results worriedly.

_What am I going to do?_


	5. Ward 26

**A/N: Next batter up, New Earth.**

* * *

Ward 26

John stepped out of the wardrobe room, settling the new coat more comfortably around his shoulders. The TARDIS had approved his choice, humming when his hand brushed against it. John had taken a shine to the long, brown, coarse material immediately.

Now as he walked to the console room, he hoped it was alright that he'd gone digging around. When he arrived, the Wolf looked up, but the words died in her mouth as she raised an eyebrow. "What's with the trench coat?" she asked.

John looked down at himself. "Something new, I don't know," he said casually. "What do you think? Dashing?"

The Wolf smirked. "Oh, I'd say so."

John wanted to preen at the compliment, but collected himself and went to stand next to her. "So, where are we going?" he asked.

The Wolf grinned up at him as she pulled down a lever. "Further than we've ever gone before," she said gleefully. With a lurch, they were off, but she actually managed to land the TARDIS fairly gracefully. Either that, or the TARDIS was trying extra hard that time. The Wolf took a step outside, John waiting just behind her, itching to go out too. "Ah, perfect," she said, pleased, standing aside to let John out.

"Not often you get to say that," John began to mock before he was immediately hit by the scent of apples. He looked around, but there weren't any trees anywhere. Then cars flew over his head, instantly distracting him. "No way," he breathed.

"Yes way," the Wolf grinned. "Now, it's the year five billion and twenty-three. We're in the galaxy M87, and this?" She spread out her arms in front of her, encompassing rolling hills of green grass, a large body of water, and beyond that, the skyline of a city. "This is New Earth."

"That's just – it's just –" John couldn't think of what it was.

The Wolf nodded, understanding. "Not bad. Not bad at all," she agreed.

"That's amazing. I'll never get used to this," John said as he looked around, trying to take in everything at once. "Never. Different ground beneath my feet." He jumped up and down on the springy grass, making the Wolf chuckle. "Different sky. And what's that smell?" he asked.

"Oh." The Wolf bent over and plucked some of the grass blades, holding them up to his nose. "Apple grass."

"That is so cool," John said. There were no other words for it. "It's beautiful, all of it," he told her. "And I love this." He wrapped an arm around the Wolf shoulders, hugging her close. "Can I just say, traveling with you, I love it," he said in awe.

The Wolf smiled warmly up at him. "Me too," she replied. Escaping the hug, she grabbed his arm to pull him forward. "Come on!" Hand in hand, they sprinted down the hill and kept going, only stopping when they found a vantage point where they could view the city and the flying cars with ease. John lay his newly acquired coat down on the ground, and the two of them relaxed on it, enjoying the breeze and the show.

They were silent for a time, but it didn't take long for the Wolf to go into her lecture mode. "So, the year five billion, the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted," she explained.

John grinned at her. "That was our first date," he teased.

The Wolf smiled happily back. "First of our many trips to the Med Bay," she agreed. "But anyway," she got back on topic, "planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up, they get all nostalgic. Big revival movement, but then they find this place. Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. Call goes out, the humans move in," she finished.

John nodded absently. "What's the city called?" he asked.

"New New York."

He gave the Wolf a look. "You've got to be kidding me."

"It is," she defended herself, but with a bit of a laugh in her voice. "It's the city of New New York. Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original," she corrected, "so that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York." The Wolf looked up from her position on the ground to see John shaking his head at her. "What?"

"It's nothing. Just – you're so different," John replied.

The Wolf hesitated. "New new Wolf," she finally said, teasing a bit. It worked, bringing a smile back to John's face.

* * *

They stayed that way for over an hour, lounging on John's new coat. Finally, they were both ready to go. "Are we going to visit New New York, so good they named it twice?" John asked as he pulled his coat on.

"Well, I thought we might go there first," the Wolf answered casually, pointing at a large building standing apart from the rest of the skyscrapers.

"Why, what is it?"

The Wolf shrugged. "Some sort of hospital. Green moon on the side. That's the universal symbol for hospitals. I got this," she mentioned, digging around in her jacket pocket and pulling out her leather wallet. "A message on the psychic paper." She showed it to John. It read: _Ward 26. Please come._ "Someone wants to see me."

John had perked up at the word 'hospital'. "By all means, then. Let's go and see what they, whoever they are, want." He had no objections to learning more about alien medical practices.

"You're going to be bouncing all over the place, aren't you?" the Wolf moaned exasperatedly. "I'm never going to get you out of there." She was trying to sound annoyed, but couldn't quite hide the fondness in her voice.

John laughed. "I make no promises."

The Wolf gave him her special tongue-touched grin, indicating that she was inordinately pleased. John hadn't seen it in weeks, even before she regenerated, and he had been worried that it was gone forever. He was glad to see that it, too, had survived her change. More and more, he was realizing that this new Wolf wasn't much different from the old. A little bouncier, little more excitable, maybe, but she still had the same nervous tics, many of the same facial expressions, and she still loved traveling. And she still seemed to like having him around, so John decided to stop worrying about the change entirely.

The Wolf was the Wolf, and apparently nothing changed that.

* * *

The Wolf shuddered as they approached the large building. "What?" John asked.

"Nothing," she dismissed. "I just don't like hospitals that much."

John gave her a look as they went through the doors. "Bit rich, coming from you, isn't it?" he wondered, eyebrows raised. "You practically have a hospital on the TARDIS, and you go around the universe making things better. Isn't that what hospitals do, just on a more local basis?"

"That's totally different," the Wolf disagreed. "And I can't help it. I don't like hospitals. They give me the creeps." An announcement for visitors interrupted their conversation.

John took a look around, admiring the organization and calm of the hospital. "Very smart," he approved. "Better than NHS."

The Wolf was also looking around, but she wasn't quite as pleased. "No shop," she muttered, disappointed. "I like a little shop."

"People'd think, this far in the future, they'd have cured everything," John said, ignoring her. "But that's evolution for you."

"The human race moves on, but so do the viruses," the Wolf agreed, shaking off her trepidation. "It's an ongoing war."

John was still gazing around at everything when he finally took notice of the nurses. They were wearing nun-like wimples and habits, but what shocked him was the fur, whiskers, and paws. "They're cats," he whispered in the Wolf's ear, his eyes wide.

"Now don't stare," the Wolf admonished him. "Think what you look like to them, all brown and spiky."

"You're one to talk, all blue and yellow … -y," John said rather lamely.

The Wolf rolled her eyes and continued, ignoring him. "That's where I'd put the shop," she said, pointing at a bare corner of the lobby. "Right there." When John turned to look, the Wolf walked into one of the available lifts. It closed, leaving John outside. "Ward 26, thanks!" she ordered.

"Wait a second!" John called, racing for the lift, but too late.

"Oh, too late. I'm going up," the Wolf said through the doors.

A ding announced the arrival of a second ride. "It's alright, there's another lift."

"Ward 26," the Wolf's faint call came through the doors. "And watch out for the disinfectant."

John turned back when he heard the Wolf's voice, but couldn't quite catch her words. "The what?"

"The disinfectant!"

"The what?" John asked again, confused.

"The disin – oh, you'll find out," the Wolf muttered as her lift took off.

When he didn't hear the Wolf again, John just shrugged and boarded. The doors closed behind them. "Erm, Ward 26? Please?" he requested hesitantly.

"Commence Stage One Disinfection," a computerized voice announced.

John jumped when a cold spray hit him. "Whoa!" he yelled. He was so surprised, he didn't even notice that the lift had gone down instead of up. He cringed under the freezing blast, but then a blow dry began, quickly warming him up. By the time the lift ding-ed, letting him off, his clothes were completely dry.

John stepped out into a dark, dank, rubbish strewn corridor with flickering lights. "The human child is clean," a pleased voice declared.

John looked up to see a strange humanoid man with interesting sepia markings covering his skin watching him.

"Erm, hello? I'm looking for Ward 26?" John tried. Somehow, he was fairly certain he had gone in the wrong direction.

"This way, John Smythe," the man urged, waving him forward.

John shook his head. "No, I'm not going anywhere. My friend is going to be waiting for me. I think I just got off on the wrong floor, so if you could just point me in the right direction, I'd be grateful," he said warily.

The pale man seemed stumped for a moment, but picked his way over to John. "John Smythe must come meet the Mistress," he insisted. "She's been waiting ever so long."

"Is your Mistress the one that called the Wolf here?" John asked.

The strange being continued his approach, this time not saying anything. John backed away, hitting the button to re-open the lift doors, but they didn't budge. John hit the button again, growing worried when they still refused to work. This was starting to look like a trap.

"What do you want?" he finally asked, a little frightened, even though the man was not naturally intimidating by any means.

"The Mistress must see you," the stranger merely repeated.

"Yeah, well, I don't think I want to see your Mistress," John denied as the man finally stopped in front of him. "So you can just go tell her that, and I'll be on my way."

The man shook his head. "I swore to bring John Smythe to the Mistress."

"Yeah? And how exactly are you gonna –" John was cut off as the other man pulled out a small spray bottle from his clothes and misted John in the face.

John's world immediately went black. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

* * *

A veiled nurse met the Wolf when she arrived at Ward 26 to escort her. "How may I assist you this afternoon?" she asked gently.

"Oh, hello!" the Wolf greeted cheerfully. "I was requested, so here I am. Not quite sure by who though, yet? Could you maybe just show me around until I see someone I recognize?" she asked.

The cat-nun cocked her head at the strange request, but merely nodded. "Of course, ma'am. The Sisters of Plenitude are always available for assistance. I am Sister Jatt."

"Brilliant," the Wolf grinned, following Jatt from reception into the ward. "It's a nice place, really," she complimented. "But no shop, downstairs. I'd have a shop. Not a big one. Just a shop, so people can – shop."

Jatt lifted her veil. "The hospital is a place of healing," she said, confused.

The Wolf ran her hands through her hair, awkward. "A shop does some people a world of good. Not me," she clarified. "Other people."

Jatt moved on. "The Sisters of Plenitude take a lifelong vow to help, and to mend." She led the Wolf past an open cubicle.

The Wolf looked inside, but a severe looking woman quickly moved in front of her, trying to block the shorter woman's line of sight. "Excuse me! Members of the public may only gaze upon the Duke of Manhattan with written permission from the Senate of New New York," she declared.

The Wolf leaned to peer past the woman and saw a large man lying rigid on his bed. "That's Petrifold Regression, right?" she asked.

"I'm dying, madam," the bald man answered weakly. "A lifetime of charity and abstinence, and it ends like this."

The woman looked back at him in alarm before turning to the Wolf again. "Any statements made by the Duke of Manhattan may not be made public without official clearance," she warned. The Wolf just rolled her eyes at the snippy woman.

"Frau Clovis!" the Duke cried. "I'm so weak."

Clovis went over to stand by the Duke, taking his hand. "Sister Jatt. A little privacy, please," she requested.

Jatt obliged, closing the curtains around the patient and his protector. "He'll be up and about in no time," she said casually.

"I doubt it," the Wolf answered, skeptical. "Petrifold Regression? He's turning to stone. There won't be a cure for, oh, a thousand years? He might be up and about, but only as a statue."

"Have faith in the sisterhood," Jatt reprimanded her gently as they reached the end of the ward. "But is there no one here you recognize?" she asked. "It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient."

Just then, the Wolf's eyes landed on a large container. She smiled. "No, I think I've found him," she said softly as she looked at the Face of Boe.

Jatt accompanied the Wolf over to the Face and his attendant. "Novice Hame, if I can leave this lady in your care?"

Hame nodded serenely. "Oh, I think my friend got lost," the Wolf remembered. "John Smythe. Could you ask at reception?"

"Certainly, ma'am," Jatt acquiesced before taking her leave.

"I'm afraid the Face of Boe's asleep," Hame said, her voice sad. "That's all he tends to do these days. Are you a friend, or –" she trailed off.

"We met just the once on Platform One. What's wrong with him?" the Wolf asked.

"I'm so sorry." Hame hesitated. "I thought you knew. The Face of Boe is dying."

The Wolf looked over at her, startled. "Of what?"

"Old age. The one thing we can't cure. He's thousands of years old," Hame said in wonder. "Some people say millions, although that's impossible."

The Wolf shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. I like impossible." She turned back to the sleeping Face. "I'm here," she said quietly. "I look a bit different, but it's me. It's the Wolf."

The Face of Boe gave no indication that he had heard.

* * *

The sound of laughter roused John. He sat up, groaning as he tried to stretch out his stiff muscles. Looking around, he caught sight of a projector showing a film of a party. Puzzled, John got to his feet to get a closer look. The camera seemed to be focused on one woman in particular, who seemed to be the life of the party.

"I mean, you never know what your life is going to be like, ever. I'm bored with this drink." She set it down on a tray as a man came up to greet her. John thought the voice sounded familiar. "Anyway. Oh, hello darling!" The man whispered in her ear and she slapped him on the shoulder lightly. "Now don't. Stop it," she said, giggling.

It clicked. "Wait a minute," John muttered. "That's –" he turned around to see the flat face of Cassandra.

"Peekaboo!" she said gleefully.

John backed away quickly. "Don't you come anywhere near me, Cassandra," he warned.

Cassandra just rolled her eyes. "Why? What do you think I'm going to do? Flap you to death?" she asked sardonically.

John narrowed his eyes at her. "Yeah, but what about Gollum?" he asked suspiciously, nodding at the man who had knocked him unconscious somehow.

"Oh, that's just Chip," she dismissed. "He's my pet."

"I worship the Mistress," Chip declared.

John just nodded agreeably. _Heee's crazy_, he decided.

"Moisturize me, moisturize me," Cassandra ordered. Chip gently sprayed her. "He's not even a proper life form," she went on when Chip had finished. "He's a force grown clone. I modeled him on my favorite pattern. But he's so faithful. Chip sees to my physical needs."

John raised his eyebrows. "I hope that means food. How is it your still alive?"

"After you murdered me –" Cassandra began.

"That was your own fault," John interrupted.

"The brain of my Mistress survived. And her pretty blue eyes were salvaged from the bin," Chip said as he lovingly stroked Cassandra's frame.

"What about the skin?" John asked. "I saw it. You – you got ripped apart," he said, not quite able to hold back a smile at the absurdity of it all.

"That piece of skin was taken from the front of my body," Cassandra said dismissively. "This piece is the back."

Now John couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Right! So you're talking out of your a–"

"Ask not!" Cassandra cut him off.

"The Mistress was lucky to survive," Chip said indignantly. "Chip secreted m'lady into the hospital."

"So they don't know you're here?" John realized.

"Chip steals medicine. Helps m'lady. Soothes her. Strokes her."

"You can stop right there, Chip," John broke in.

"But I'm so alone, hidden down here," Cassandra complained. "The last human in existence."

"Don't start that again," John denied. "They've called this planet New Earth."

Cassandra sniffed in disdain. "A vegetable patch."

"And there's millions of humans out there. Millions of them," John went on.

"Mutant stock."

"They evolved, Cassandra," John corrected her. "They just evolved, like they should. We've been doing it for billions of years. You stayed still. You got yourself all pickled and preserved, and what good did it do you?"

Cassandra ignored him, looking back at the video. "Oh, I remember that night," she said fondly. "Drinks for the Ambassador of Thrace. That was the last time anyone told me I was beautiful. After that, it all became such hard work."

"Well, you've got a knack for survival. I'll give you that," John admitted.

"But I've not been idle, John, tucked away underneath this hospital. I've been listening," Cassandra hissed. "The Sisters are hiding something."

"What do you mean?" John asked warily.

"Oh, these cats have secrets. Hush, let me whisper. Come close," Cassandra urged.

John laughed derisively. "You must be joking if you think I'm coming anywhere near you after the stunt that Chip pulled," he said as he backed away.

Suddenly, energy surrounded John's hands, holding him still. He jerked, but he was stuck fast. "Cassandra, let me go!" he shouted. Light streamed down from some contraption over his head. "What are you doing?"

"The lady's moving on," Cassandra declared. "I would have preferred the Wolf, but you'll just have to do. It's goodbye trampoline, and hello pinstripes!"

John saw a burst of energy leave Cassandra and move towards him. Before he could do anything, the wave overwhelmed him.

John woke in a stark white room. "What the hell?"


	6. The 'Ol Switcheroo

**A/N: So I sort of designed the room that John is stuck in as I imagine the Zero Room in the TARDIS looks like. It's only used once or twice in Classic Who, and where John is isn't really the Zero Room, but yeah. You get the picture.**

* * *

The Ol' Switcheroo

"That's very kind," Hame said as the Wolf handed her the cup of water she had fetched. "There's no need."

"You're the one working," the Wolf pointed out.

Hame shrugged. "There's not much to do, just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company." She smiled a bit. "I can hear him singing, sometimes, in my mind. Such ancient songs," Hame said in wonder.

"Am I the only visitor?" the Wolf asked.

"The rest of Boe-kind became extinct long ago. He's the only one left. Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old. There's all sorts of superstitions around him," Hame explained. "One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his great secret, that he will speak those words only to one like himself."

The Wolf looked over at the novice, curious. "What does that mean?"

Hame shook her head. "It's just a story," she replied, embarrassed at her folly.

"Tell me the rest," the Wolf urged gently.

"It's said he'll talk to a wanderer. To the woman without a home. The lonely Goddess," Hame said quietly. The Wolf's eyes widened in surprise.

* * *

John stared at his surroundings, trying to figure out what the hell had happened to him. Had Cassandra transported him somewhere? The room he was in was white and completely empty. There were no windows, no doors, not a single decoration. He couldn't even tell where the floor ended and the walls began.

He walked forward, but was met suddenly by a barrier not ten feet in front of him. He kept his fingers on the wall and explored his container. It wasn't large by any means, and he quickly had the whole room scoped out. He was distracted from his perusal by an image flickering into existence on the far wall. It displayed like a projector, but it came out of nowhere.

John stared at the 'screen', for lack of a better term. He could see Chip, but it was like he was seeing him using another person's eyes.

"Moisturize me," a familiar voice ordered.

"No way," John muttered. "No. No, just – no." But he couldn't deny the truth when the screen turned to a mirror, showing himself. "No, come on!" John shouted angrily. "That's not fair! That's my body! You can't just take my body, Cassandra!"

"How bizarre," Cassandra said, as John. "Arms, fingers, hair! Ooh, big hair." She stared at the mirror, admiring her new body. "Oh, well, this is – different. Goodness me, I'm a man. Yum. So many parts," she mused, feeling around.

John made a disgusted noise.

"Ooh, he's slim. And a little bit foxy," Cassandra said with approval.

"Oh, the brain lead expired," Chip mourned. "My old Mistress is gone."

"But safe and sound in here," Cassandra reassured him, tapping on John's head.

"But what of the John child's mind?" Chip asked.

"Yes, what of him?" John muttered sardonically.

"Oh, tucked away," Cassandra dismissed. "I should be able to just about access the surface memory –" she growled in frustration. "Where is it?"

"Mistress?"

"The little rat is hiding his memories. How is he doing that?" Cassandra huffed, frustrated.

"Ha!" John crowed.

"John Smythe was with a woman earlier," Chip pointed out after a moment.

"No, no, you leave her alone!" John shouted, not noticing that the walls had encroached on him by a miniscule amount.

"Yes, she should have the answers. I'm surprised he's not with the Wolf. That hypocrite, chasing after any old blonde chav. They seemed thick as thieves." Cassandra was interrupted by John's super phone ringing in his coat pocket. Cassandra pulled it out, staring at it in consternation. "Oh. It seems to be ringing. Is it meant to ring?" she asked Chip.

"A primitive communications device," Chip suggested. Cassandra shrugged and flipped it open.

"John, where are you?" the Wolf asked.

Cassandra covered the phone. "How does he speak?" she hissed at Chip.

"Old Earth Estuary. Or is it Cockney?" Chip replied, puzzled.

She put the phone back to her ear. "Er, righto," she tried.

"Huh?!" John cursed, running his hands through his hair frustratedly.

"Where've you been?" the Wolf asked. "How long does it take to get to Ward 26?"

"Apparently too long, since I'm not there," John muttered. "Maybe that's weird, Wolf."

"I'm on my way, governor," Cassandra said instead. "I shall proceed up the apples and pears."

"That is not how I talk!" John yelled. "Surely you can see that, Wolf."

"You'll never guess," the Wolf went on, seemingly undisturbed. "I'm with the Face of Boe. Remember him?"

_Apparently, she can't,_ John stewed. The walls inched closer again.

"I'd better go. See you in a minute." The Wolf hung up.

"That woman is with the Face of Boe!" Cassandra exclaimed. "But he was on Platform One. That must mean – oh, he _is_ with the Wolf! _That_ hypocrite! I must get the name of her surgeon. The boy could do with a little work."

"Don't you dare," John growled.

"This Wolf woman is dangerous," Chip said nervously.

"Dangerous and clever," Cassandra acceded. "I might need a mind like hers. The Sisterhood is up to something. Remember that Old Earth saying, never trust a nun? Never trust a nurse. And _never_ trust a cat. Perfume?" Chip handed over the small bottle he had used on John. She placed it in her coat pocket.

* * *

"There you are!" the Wolf called as Cassandra exited the lift. She came over and grabbed her arm. "Come and look at this patient. Marconi's Disease. Should take years to recover. Two days," the Wolf said in disbelief. "I've never seen anything like it. They've invented a cell washing cascade. It's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced. And this one." She pulled Cassandra over to another patient.

"No, no, no, Wolf!" John yelled. "It's not me! Come on!"

"Pallindrome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine. I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this. Because if they've got the best medicine in the world, then why is it such a secret?" the Wolf wondered.

"I can't Adam and Eve it," Cassandra said.

The Wolf gave her a strange look. "What's – what's – what's with the voice?" she asked.

"Finally!" John said.

"Oh, I don't know," Cassandra drawled. "Just larking about. New Earth."

"I thought you were more excited about seeing all the medicine stuff Johnny."

"Everything's new," Cassandra mused.

The Wolf grinned. "Well, I can talk. New New Wolf.

"Mmm, aren't you just," Cassandra said before pulling the Wolf in for a long, hard kiss.

John's mouth dropped open. "Ugh!" he cried, burying his face in his hands in second-hand embarrassment for his body. "Oh, no. Oh, no no no no no."

When Cassandra let the Wolf go, she just stood there, frozen. "T-Terminal's this way," Cassandra stammered before walking away. The Wolf dumbly followed.

John began pacing, unable to watch anymore. But he was surprised to notice that the area was much smaller than it had been. He only had about ten paces of room, compared to the nearly twenty he'd begun with. The room was getting smaller, and he didn't know why.

John assumed that he was somehow trapped in his own mind. Cassandra had managed to make some kind of a transfer, or had implanted her mind in his body, kicking him out. And he found that he was very annoyed about that. But what was concerning right now was the fact that he didn't know if he could be crushed by his own mind, if that was what the walls were. Or was it Cassandra's mind, maybe?

That, and the Wolf was in danger, clueless as to what was going on. John had to somehow regain control of his body. He pounded on the walls again, screaming to be let out, but nothing happened. He searched every inch of the room, but there were no openings, no entrances, not even a tiny little crack in the facade. It was a perfect prison. Having accomplished nothing, John turned his attention back to what the Wolf and Cassandra were doing.

The Wolf was inspecting a computer terminal. "Nope, nothing odd," she said. "Surgery, post-op, nano-dentistry. No sign of a shop. They should have a shop."

"No, it's missing something else," Cassandra interjected. "When I was downstairs, those nurse cat nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it?"

The Wolf gave her a considering look. "You're right. Well done," she praised cautiously.

"Why would they hide a whole department?" Cassandra went on. "It's got to be there somewhere. Search the sub-frame."

"Sub-frame," John scoffed.

"What if the sub-frame's locked?" the Wolf asked, testing her.

"Try the installation protocol," Cassandra suggested.

"Installation protocol, really?!" John shouted. "I don't know anything about computers! Doesn't that seem just a little off to you, Wolf?" Fed up, he surveyed the room again. It had decreased in size by another half pace. "Okay," he muttered to himself. "I'm trapped in my own head. Cassandra's taken over my body. I have no control. But two minds in one head can't feel good, and right now, I'm on the receiving end. But if I can still see what I'm – she's – doing, maybe the connection goes both ways," he mused. "Like the Matrix." John stalked back to a wall, and this time, when he beat his fists on it, he focused all his mental energy on forcing the sensation to Cassandra's brain. He did it again and again, and after six hits, he was rewarded when Cassandra flinched.

"Ha!" He did it again. Cassandra flinched again, but then the walls inched even closer together as she focused on blocking him out. "Damn it!" There went that plan. He couldn't risk further retaliation. He'd get squashed before the Wolf ever realized he was in danger. John moved back toward the screen, and the walls resumed their slower, but still inexorable, pace around him.

The Wolf and Cassandra were heading down a staircase. Thousands of cells lined an entire network of platforms. The Wolf opened one of them at random, revealing a very sick looking man.

"That's disgusting," Cassandra muttered. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," the Wolf apologized softly, closing the cell and moving to the next, which contained a sick young woman.

"What disease is that?" Cassandra asked.

"All of them. Every single disease in the galaxy," the Wolf answered darkly. "They've been infected with everything."

John looked on in horror at the disease ravaged people. _Who would keep them locked up like that?_ he wondered. They couldn't be patients. No one treated patients that way. It was inhuman.

"They're not patients," the Wolf was saying, thinking exactly what John was.

"But they're sick," Cassandra protested.

"They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats," the Wolf snarled, disgusted. "No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm."

"Why don't they just die?" Cassandra asked.

"Plague carriers. The last to go," the Wolf explained.

"It's for the greater cause," a soft voice said from behind them.

Cassandra and the Wolf whirled around to face the newcomer. "Novice Hame," the Wolf growled. "When you took your vows, did you agree to this?"

"The Sisterhood has sworn to help," Hame defended.

"What, by killing?" the Wolf demanded, her voice rising.

Hame smiled. "But they're not real people," she tried to explain. "They're specially grown. They have no proper existence."

"What's the turnover, hmm? Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousands? For how many years? How many?!" the Wolf was practically screaming by the end. John flinched, and even Cassandra cowered in the face of her anger.

"Mankind needed us," Hame insisted. "They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle. But the results were too slow, so the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh," she said, trying to make the Wolf understand.

"These people are alive," the Wolf said.

"But think of those humans out there, healthy and happy, because of us."

"If they live because of this, then life is worthless," the Wolf denied.

"But who are you to decide that?" Hame asked.

"I'm the Wolf. And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me," the Wolf declared.

Despite his worry, John couldn't help but grin at the sight of the Wolf's expression that he now recognized as her 'Bad Wolf' face. This was her against the universe, and she would always come out on top. Most of the time, she hid that persona under a stiff mask, but when it came out, nothing could stand in her way.

But she was speaking again. John refocused. "Hold on," the Wolf said, interrupting whatever Cassandra and Novice Hame had been speaking about. "I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand." She pointed over at Cassandra. "What have you done to John?"

"I don't know what you mean," Hame said, now looking confused.

"Yes!" John yelled, pumping his fist in victory. She'd known all along.

"And I'm being very, very calm. You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm," the Wolf told Hame, her voice taking on a dangerous undertone. "And the only reason I'm being so very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to John's head, I want it reversed."

"We haven't done anything," Hame denied.

"I'm perfectly fine," Cassandra added..

"These people are dying. John's a doctor, he would _care_," the Wolf said, her voice getting very quiet.

Cassandra sighed. "Oh, all right, clever clogs," she said, walking over to the Wolf. "Smarty-pants. Femme fatale," she practically moaned.

John groaned at the words coming out of his mouth.

The Wolf just gave her a confused look. "What's happened to you?" she whispered.

"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out." Cassandra said.

"Who are you?" the Wolf asked.

"The last human," Cassandra whispered in her ear.

The Wolf frowned. "Cassandra?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Wake up and smell the perfume," she said, annoyed, pulling out the small bottle.

"No, Wolf look ou –" John yelled, but it was pointless.

Cassandra sprayed the Wolf in the face and she promptly collapsed. After Hame ran off to find the Matron, Cassandra stooped to lift the Wolf.

"Don't you touch her," John snarled, banging on the walls with renewed vigor.

Cassandra dropped the Wolf in surprise. "Why won't you just go away?" she hissed, digging the heel of her hand into her temple. "You should be gone by now, or at least not making this much of a fuss. You're supposed to be helpless in there!" she complained as she bent over again.

"Not bloody likely," John growled, pounding again. However, Cassandra was ready that time, and managed to keep a hold of the Wolf long enough to lock her in one of the empty cells. Chip rejoined his Mistress.

"No, you can't leave her in there!" John yelled.

A few minutes later, he heard the Wolf shouting from inside the cell. "Let me out! Let me out!"

"Aren't you lucky there was a spare?" Cassandra jeered. "Standing room only."

"You've stolen John's body," the Wolf accused.

"Over the years, I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Wolf," Cassandra hissed. "And now, that's exactly what I've got. One thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top-up every ten minutes. You've got about three minutes left. Enjoy."

"Just let John go, Cassandra."

John cringed at the Wolf's pleading tone. Turning away so he wouldn't have to watch the Wolf get infected, John discovered that he didn't even have room to stretch his arms anymore. Worry setting in, he pushed on the walls, bracing himself to throw his whole body weight into it. But to no avail. They didn't budge. "This is not good," he muttered. It appeared that he was running out of time.

John turned his attention back to the screen just in time to watch Chip pulling a lever that opened all the cells on their level, letting the Wolf and all the diseased people out. "What've you done?" the Wolf yelled.

"Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake them up. See you!" Cassandra took off down the stairs, the Wolf following close behind.

"Don't touch them!" the Wolf warned. "Whatever you do, don't touch!"

When they were a couple of levels down, Cassandra stopped suddenly to look back up. John saw one of the diseased touch Sister Jatt. She died screaming.

"Oh, my God," Cassandra whispered.

"What the hell have you done?" the Wolf accused.

"It wasn't me," Cassandra protested.

"One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want that body safe, Cassandra," the Wolf threatened. "We've got to go down."

"But there's thousands of them!"

"Run! Down! Down! Go down!" the Wolf urged. The three of them sprinted down the stairs, slipping between diseased people. John winced whenever a diseased hand got close to the Wolf, breathing a sigh of relief when she escaped yet again. He could hear an announcement of a quarantine over the loudspeaker. He assumed that the escaped patients had gotten to the real patients' floors.

They finally got to the basement, and Cassandra ran to summon a lift, but the Wolf called her back. "No, the lift's have closed down. That's the quarantine. Nothing's moving."

"This way!" Cassandra ordered, running in the direction of her hideout.

Chip went to follow, but he was cut off by a swarm of escapees. "Mistress!" he wailed, but Cassandra ignored him and kept running for her lair.

"I'm sorry!" the Wolf apologized. "I can't let her escape."

Cassandra looked ready to tear out John's hair when the Wolf caught up.

The Wolf quickly inspected the machinery in the hideout, immediately realizing what it was.

John was feeling the pressure inside the room as the walls began to press against him. He was going to get crushed.

"We're trapped!" Cassandra lamented. "What am I going to do?"

The Wolf stopped in front of her, furious. "For starters, you're going to leave that body," she commanded. "That psychograft is banned on every civilized planet. You're compressing John to death!"

"Well that explains it," John muttered as the walls got even closer.

"But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead," Cassandra whined.

"Not my problem," the Wolf dismissed. "You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out," she ordered. "Give him back to me."

Cassandra smirked. "You asked for it."

* * *

**A/N: By the way, my head canon for the 'ancient songs' the Face of Boe sings in his head is Sexy and I Know It. I'll just leave that here.**


	7. A Difficult Situation

**A/N: Say Something by A Great Big World has suddenly turned into my soundtrack for this entire story. I listened to it on constant repeat as I wrote this chapter. And I realized the more I listened to the words, how perfect it was for these two for S2. And I gave myself feelings, so I thought I'd share them.**

A/N #2: Sorry if you guys get a second alert. FF was telling me that the story wasn't appearing, so I deleted the chapter and reposted. If there were problems before, I apologize.  


* * *

A Difficult Situation

John suddenly found himself in control of his body again, complete with a pounding headache. "Blimey, my head," he groaned, rubbing it. Realizing he could actually feel the air around him, and that the walls crushing him were gone, he looked up in surprise. "Where'd she go?"

"Oh, my God," the Wolf complained. "I'm a chav!"

John stared at her, stunned. "Cassandra?" he asked uncertainly.

"Look at me. From class to brass," Cassandra whined. "Although, oh, curves." She bounced up and down a little. "Gracious, it's like living inside a bouncy castle!"

"Stop that!" John demanded, mortified.

"And she's hardly used. Oh –" Cassandra stuttered, "oh, two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!"

"Get out of her!" he ordered.

"She's certainly acceptable," she decided. "You've thought so too. I've been inside your head," Cassandra said in a sly tone. "You've been looking. You like it," she said as she strutted around John.

John was spared any further embarrassment by the arrival of a mob of the ICU patients. "What do we do? What would she do? The Wolf, what the hell would she do?" Cassandra asked in a panic as the group of diseased people advanced on them.

John rapidly searched for an escape route. "Ladder," he saw. "We've got to get up."

"Out of the way, pinstripes!" Cassandra pushed past him.

John looked back as he waited for Cassandra to get up the ladder. "Please, help us," a sick woman begged. "Please."

"I'm sorry, I can't," John answered regretfully before ascending.

They made it about halfway up before John tried to reason with Cassandra again. "If you get out of the Wolf's body, she can think of something," he told her.

Cassandra groaned. "Yap, yap, yap. God, it was tedious inside your head. Nothing there, just a blank white wall. Tell me, do you have _any_ thoughts in your brain?"

"Maybe I just didn't want you to see them," John retorted. "We're going to die if –" A clawed hand on his leg drew his attention downward. One of the nuns was gripping his ankle tightly. "Get off!" he yelled, trying to kick her away.

"All our good work. All that healing," the cat hissed. "The good name of the Sisterhood. You have destroyed everything!"

"Oh, go and play with a ball of string," Cassandra drawled.

"Everywhere, disease. This is the human world," the nun continued. "Sickness!" A diseased arm reached up and grasped her by the ankle, causing her to scream as her skin cracked and she fell to the ground far below.

John looked on in horror. "Move!" he yelled, urging Cassandra up.

She reached the next level, but the doors wouldn't slide open. "Now what do we do?" she asked desperately.

"Use the sonic screwdriver," John ordered, keeping an eye on the sick people approaching from below.

"You mean this thing?" Cassandra asked with distaste, holding the screwdriver with just her fingertips.

"Yes, I mean that thing!" he said, out of patience.

"Well, I don't know how. That Wolf's hidden away all her thoughts, even more than you did," Cassandra complained.

John made a snap decision. "Cassandra, go back into me. The Wolf can open it." Cassandra hesitated. "Do it!" he shouted.

Cassandra shrugged. "Hold on tight," she warned before taking a deep breath and shifting.

John opened his eyes to find himself back in the white room. "Fantastic," he muttered. At least the walls weren't quite as close as they had been before.

"Oh, pinstripes again," Cassandra whined. "Open it!" she told the Wolf.

The Wolf held up the screwdriver threateningly. "Not 'til you get out of him," she denied, her face stormy.

"We need the Wolf," Cassandra said.

"I order you to leave him!" the Wolf commanded.

John was quickly back in his own body.

"No matter how difficult the situation, there is no need to shout," Cassandra said prissily, in the Wolf's body once again.

"Cassandra get out of her!"

"But I can't go into you, she simply refuses." Cassandra sounded like a child denied her favorite toy. "She's so rude."

John shook his head. "I don't care," he told her. "Just do something."

Cassandra hesitated for a moment. "Oh, I am so going to regret this," she murmured before transferring to the diseased woman who was mere feet below John. "Oh, sweet Lord. I look disgusting!" she said, repelled.

The Wolf wasted no time sonicking the doors open and hauling herself through, making room for John to move up. "Nice to have you back," she grinned as John crawled out.

John was about to reply when he was violently thrust back into his white enclosure. "Oh, come on, Cassandra!" he yelled at the air.

The Wolf brandished her screwdriver again. "That was your last warning, Cassandra!"

But Cassandra just huddled to the floor. "Inside her head. They're so alone," she said quietly. "They keep reaching out, just to hold us. All their lives, and they've never been touched."

The Wolf's face softened, and she held out her hand. Cassandra looked up, understanding finally in her eyes, and grasped it.

* * *

The Wolf thought quickly as Clovis threatened to break quarantine. "All right, fine," she muttered. "So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me. Cassandra, Novice Hame, everyone!" she ordered, running to all the different patient areas. "Excuse me, your Grace," she said as she barged in on the Duke of Manhattan. "Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease." No one moved for a second. "Move it!" she roared, sparking everyone into action.

While they were busy with that, she found a long piece of heavy silk rope, wrapped it around herself, and started hanging all the bags they brought her on the rope. Once they were all in place, she patted them, making sure they were all stable. "How's that? Will that do?" she asked Cassandra.

"Do for what? I hope it's not a fashion statement, because darling, it's hideous," Cassandra drawled.

The Wolf stared for a moment. "The words come from John's mouth but they make no sense," she mused.

"Couldn't have figured that out an hour ago while I was yammering on about computer sub-frames in a Cockney accent," John growled to himself. The walls were encroaching again, and he was getting seriously sick of the whole impending crushed to death scenario.

The Wolf ran to the lift doors and opened them up. "The lifts aren't working," Cassandra pointed out.

"Not moving. Different thing," the Wolf corrected. "Here we go." She put her screwdriver between her teeth and ran.

"But you're not going to –" Cassandra broke off as the Wolf did exactly that, leaping and grabbing on to the lift cable. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"I'm going down. Come on!" the Wolf ordered.

"Not in a million years," Cassandra shook her head.

"You are so going," John muttered.

"I need another pair of hands," the Wolf told her. "What do you think? If you're so desperate to stay alive, why don't you live a little?"

Cassandra's way out was cut off as Clovis sealed the doors and she shut her eyes tightly before leaping to grab the cable as well. She squealed as she hit the Wolf's back, and John groaned at the unmanly sound coming out of his mouth. "You're completely mad," she said. "I can see why he likes you."

John buried his face in his hands, even though no one could see him.

The Wolf luckily chose to ignore that observation. "Going down," she announced before they descended rapidly down the shaft.

"Listen," she said when they got to the bottom. "When I say so, take hold of that lever."

"There's still a quarantine down there," Cassandra protested, "we can't –"

"Hold that lever!" the Wolf interrupted. "I'm cooking up a cocktail. John's certainly not the only one that knows a bit about medicine." She proceeded to pour the contents of every drip bag into the lift's disinfectant tank. "Now that lever's going to resist," she informed Cassandra as she stood back up. "But keep it in position. Hold onto it with everything you've got."

"What about you?" Cassandra asked.

The Wolf grinned. "This time, I'm the doctor." She dropped down into the lift carriage, opening the doors with her screwdriver. The diseased people milling about in the hospital lobby turned to look at the new noise. "I'm in here!" she shouted at them. "Come on!"

"Don't tell them," Cassandra hissed.

"Pull that lever!" the Wolf commanded.

The Wolf watched with glee as the cure-filled disinfectant sprayed over many of the diseased people, who then proceeded to transfer it to those not yet affected. "Pass it on!" she kept yelling joyfully. Eventually, all the diseased in the room had been cleared of any and all symptoms. "Come down," she told Cassandra, who carefully lowered herself to the ground.

"What did they pass on?" she asked. "Did you kill them? All of them?"

The Wolf shook her head. "No. That's your way of doing things. John and I are a bit different. I cured them," she said with a happy grin.

John watched with a stupid smile on his face as the Wolf celebrated. She deserved more days like this.

* * *

"The Face of Boe!" the Wolf realized, suddenly remembering that he had wanted to see her. She returned to Ward 26, Cassandra following close behind. The alien that had been unaware before was now wide awake and alert. And, it seemed, waiting for her.

"You were supposed to be dying," the Wolf said in reproach.

_There are better things to do today. Dying can wait,_ the Face of Boe sighed out mentally.

John startled. He recognized that voice.

"Oh, I hate telepathy," Cassandra complained. "Just what I need, a head full of big face."

"Shh!" the Wolf reprimanded.

_I have grown tired with the universe, Wolf, but you taught me to look at it anew_, the Face of Boe went on.

"There are legends, you know, saying that you're millions of years old," the Wolf mentioned.

_There are?_ the Face of Boe questioned, seemingly amused. _That would be impossible._

_Hello again, John Smythe_, the Face of Boe sounded in John's mind. He shook his head, bewildered. It was the same voice from Platform One, all those months ago. The one that had warned him of danger.

"How are you doing this?" he asked the air.

A chuckle sounded. _That is not important._

"Wouldn't it just," the Wolf was saying. "I got the impression there was something you wanted to tell me."

_A great secret,_ the Face of Boe acknowledged.

"So the legend says."

There was a pause. _It can wait._

"Oh, does it have to?" the Wolf whined, disappointed.

_You must listen, John Smythe_, the Face of Boe spoke once more to John alone. _The path you walk is not easy. There is heartache in your future. But when all seems lost, do not lose hope. Do not speak of this to the Wolf, but remember: when the first tears from the sky fall to the ground, the Bad Wolf howls for the Oncoming Storm._

John shook his head at the cryptic words. "What are you talking about?" he asked, bewildered. "What does that mean?" There was no answer. "Hello?"

The Face of Boe spoke once more to the Wolf, leaving John confounded. _We shall meet again, Wolf, for the third time, for the last time, and the truth shall be told,_ he announced. _Until that day –_ He beamed away in his tank, leaving both John and the Wolf hanging.

The Wolf stayed where she had been kneeling. "That is enigmatic," she said, amazed. "That – that is – that is textbook enigmatic." She looked up at Cassandra. "And now for you."

Cassandra backed away. "But everything's happy. Everything's fine. Can't you just leave me?"

"You've lived long enough," the Wolf informed her. "I want that body back, Cassandra. Leave and end it."

"I don't want to die."

"No one does."

"Help me."

"I can't."

"Mistress!" Chip's voice broke in.

"Oh, you're alive." Cassandra didn't sound all too thrilled.

"I kept myself safe for you, Mistress," Chip told her.

Realization dawned on Cassandra. "A body. And not just that, a volunteer," she mused.

"You can't, Cassandra," the Wolf warned, "you –" but she was cut off when Cassandra transferred, finally leaving John alone in his mind for good. He staggered into a wall, nearly falling to the floor before the Wolf caught him by the shoulders and braced him up against the wall he'd run into. "You all right?" she asked, letting go slightly. John's knees buckled and she quickly grabbed him again. "Whoa!" John finally steadied after a few more seconds. "Okay?" she asked.

John nodded dizzily. "Yeah," he murmured, but then looked up, grinning. "Hello!" he said happily.

The Wolf smiled, tongue peeking out. "Hello. Welcome back."

"Oh, sweet Lord. I'm a walking doodle," Chip, now Cassandra, interrupted their reunion.

* * *

John and the Wolf walked silently away from the party, John lost in his thoughts. Cassandra had attempted to murder a lot of people, including him multiple times – his head still ached fiercely from the psychograft – but in the end, he couldn't help feeling just a bit sorry for her as he watched her die.

"How's your head?" the Wolf inquired quietly. "Any damage?"

"It hurts some," John admitted, "but I don't think any lasting damage, no. Everything seems to be in one piece up there."

"What do you remember?" she asked, curious. "Anything?"

"Yeah, I was in this empty, white room, and there was this sort of screen on the wall. I could see what was going on, and it was like looking through my eyes, but I wasn't in control. And the room kept getting smaller, trying to crush me," John explained. "That was the psychograft, yeah?"

"So you remember everything that happened?" the Wolf asked in surprise.

"Yeah?" It sounded more like a question than a confirmation. This was the third time in recent days that John got the feeling he'd done something he wasn't supposed to do, or something he wasn't supposed to _be able_ to do. "Is that bad?"

"No!" the Wolf was quick to reassure him, though she still looked a bit worried. "A little surprising, maybe, but certainly not bad."

John looked at her, not convinced, but let it go as they re-entered the TARDIS, holding the door open for the Wolf to allow her to go in first. The TARDIS chimed happily at her people's return. The Wolf walked over to the console to prepare the ship for take-off, but John hung back by the doors, fidgeting nervously.

"Um, Wolf?" he tried to begin.

"Hmm?" the Wolf hummed absently before noticing his missing presence and turning to look for him, raising her eyebrows when she found him still hovering by the entrance. "What's the matter, John?"

John hesitated. "About that- erm – that kiss," he stumbled his way through.

The Wolf eyes widened. "Oh! Right! That," she realized.

"Yeah." John ran his hand through his hair, trying to organize his words. "Erm – I just – I wanted to say – well, I just – you know, I didn't –" John cursed when he couldn't get the words out.

The Wolf smiled a bit. "I know, John," she said, saving him. "It wasn't you."

John sighed in relief. "Right! I wouldn't – I mean, I don't –" he gave up, blushing furiously. "Well then, good."

The Wolf nodded, looking like she was trying not to laugh. "Good," she agreed. "Are you for bed?"

"No, I'm still a little too wired. Media room?" John asked.

"Sure. Let me just set us in the Vortex and we're good. I'll meet you there."

"Okay." John walked off, leaving the Wolf alone with her thoughts for the moment. John's test results from the night before were confusing, and theoretically impossible. But John had done the impossible three times in the last week, and it all stemmed from looking into the heart of the TARDIS.

The Wolf was worried. But the test results said he was at least healthy, and he didn't seem to be showing any adverse effects, so the Wolf resolved to maintain a quiet lookout. John may be fine for now, but if that changed, she was determined to be ready.

John wasn't going to be someone who died for her.

* * *

**A/N: The phrase that the Face of Boe recites to John, I borrowed. I don't know where it originally came from, but it's so cryptic and I love it.**


	8. Interlude: Getting to Know You

**A/N: Many of the ensuing popular culture opinions may or may not be my own. Sorry if I offend someone who really likes one of the people or media mentioned and perhaps disparaged, but I'm drawing from my own personal experiences for the most part. The rest is made up. And again, I'm sorry for the glitch on the chapter last time. Hopefully it's smooth sailing from here on out.**

* * *

Interlude: Getting to Know You

"Hey."

John hung his head over the back of the couch, looking upside down at the Wolf as she came walking into the Media room. "Hey. What's your favorite color?" he asked abruptly.

The Wolf cocked her head and gave him a confused look. "TARDIS blue. Why?"

"That history book I read while you were unconscious said that some fundamental personality traits could change after a regeneration even if your main ones were constant, so I was curious to see which ones of yours had," he reasoned. "Changed, I mean."

"Well, my favorite color is one that won't ever change. Have you seen my ship? She's a marvel." The Wolf collapsed on the couch next to John, sinking into the cushions with a happy sigh before looking over at him. "So. Twenty questions, is it?"

John flipped himself right side up so he could talk to her normally. "If you don't mind. Could be fun," he shrugged.

The Wolf nodded agreeably. "Alright, fire away."

"How do you take your tea?" John asked, getting into it.

"Three sugars and a bit of milk," the Wolf answered immediately.

John paused. "See, that one is different. Used to be just milk."

"Think I have a bit of a sweet tooth this go 'round."

"Alright." He thought of another one. "I'm assuming it's fair to say that Dickens is still your favorite author?"

The Wolf grinned. "Yup. Good old Charlie. Very much superior to other authors of the age – Doyle, for one."

"Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle didn't even write in the same genre, Wolf. You can't honestly compare them," John protested. "You'd have to debate – Dickens versus Hugo or something."

"Ah, Victor, good man, he was. Always looking at the small things and making them big. Like that rebellion, for instance. All of history forgot about the student rebellion except for him, and now everyone knows about it. Who's your favorite author?" she asked him.

"I'm partial to Homer," John answered.

"Homer?!" She shook her head. "Nah, never did like him much. He always went on and on for paragraphs and paragraphs about which army was led by which general and which country it came from and how many men were in each squadron and if they rode horses or marched or sailed boats," she rambled on. "Pages of it. Besides, all the 'gods' the Greeks ever worshiped were just aliens from a galaxy a few doors down anyways. Why do you think the Greeks never checked to see whether their gods actually lived on Mount Olympus? It's a very climbable hill."

John stared at her, bewildered. "Homer wrote tales of adventure and intrigue. They were the first epics of our time," he tried to tell her.

"Maybe the first, but certainly not the best. No, those would belong to J.R.R. Tolkien," the Wolf said firmly.

"Come on, you're a Lord of the Rings fan?" John scoffed.

"Those are truly great novels."

"The movies, I understand. But the books? No, I don't see it. The plot is entirely impossible to follow, everything is always being interrupted for a song or two, and they only succeed in their mission through sheer dumb luck. And Frodo's a bit of a wimp, who for some reason decided to make the very avoidable error of trusting a creepy quadruped to lead him on his world-saving mission," John tacked on as a final thought.

The Wolf grinned at his own ramble. "We're just gonna have to agree to disagree on that point," she said. "I don't think we're going to convince each other."

"Fine," John conceded good naturedly. "Favorite movie?"

The Wolf thought about it. "I think I would like any of those classic Disney movies right now, but I've also always sort of liked the Matrix. Now there is a movie that makes you think about existentialism. Just the original, though. The rest of the trilogy is a little bit weak. Oh, and making fun of historical documentaries. That's always been one of my favorite pastimes."

"Why?" he asked, confused.

"They're so often wrong," she answered simply. "And whenever they're wrong, they have no idea what to do with that new information, whether it's someone wearing clothes they shouldn't be or random objects found in graves that make no sense for the given time period. Keeps them on their toes." The Wolf had a small smile as she finished speaking.

John narrowed his eyes, suspicious. "Hang on. So all the strange things archaeologists find at dig sites," he began, "is that just you throwing stuff in there to confuse them?" The Wolf's grin only widened. "Oh, my God, it is! Like coins and stuff? I've seen that before." John couldn't help but laugh when the Wolf chuckled. "That is so devious and mean," he told her reprovingly, unable to keep his laughter in check. "Why do you do it?"

The Wolf only shrugged. "They're archaeologists. I like to point and laugh at them," she replied, as if no other answer was needed.

John shook his head, unable to fathom it. "Okay, moving on. What else do you like?"

The Wolf thought for a moment. "Charlie Chaplin was always good for a laugh. And he could sass with the best of them. He stood up to Herbert Hoover once, back when he was still head of the FBI and not President. Really took the mickey out of him. Got himself landed on a Communist watch list because of it. Right in the middle of the Red hysteria. But his films are golden."

John nodded. "I always liked silent films," he agreed. "Everything was simpler back then. People had to rely on expressiveness. It's hard to lie when you can't use any words."

The Wolf nodded. "What about Shakespeare?" she then asked.

"You like him?" John groaned.

"Everyone loves old Will," the Wolf defended herself. "You don't?"

"Not really. I prefer Robert Burns if I'm going to read some kind of poetry. Plays aren't really my thing. I always find it difficult to keep track of who is related to who and which person is speaking. And I could never get the hang of his sonnets. And really, Romeo and Juliet was _not _a love story," John complained. "It was two immature teenagers who ended up getting themselves and a lot of innocent people killed over the course of a few days."

The Wolf grinned at his rant. "I'm not a fan of Romeo and Juliet either," she acknowledged. "The star-crossed lovers ideal never rings true for me. I like Hamlet though."

"Me too," John admitted. "That one's good. I think my favorite is Twelfth Night, though. Everyone pretending to be someone else, and falling in love with the wrong people while in disguise. That one makes me la-laugh." He was interrupted by a yawn.

"Tired?" the Wolf asked, amused.

"Maybe a bit," John replied. "But not really sleepy. Too long spent wandering around in my own head today, I think."

The Wolf winced, nodding. "The psychograft was slowly crushing your mind. It wouldn't have stopped until you were completely obliterated. It's brutal – that's why it was banned almost immediately after it was invented."

"Why was it invented?" John asked curiously.

The Wolf rolled her eyes. "Why is anything like that ever created? Someone rich wanted to live forever," she told him.

John grimaced. "Yeah, now I'm never going to sleep."

"Sorry," the Wolf said apologetically.

John shook his head. "No worries. I'll go to bed at some point. In the meantime, movie?"

"Brilliant! Got anything in mind?"

"Well, The Lion King's been stuck in my head ever since you quoted it on the Sycorax ship," John suggested.

The Wolf scrunched up her face in distaste. "Not one of my more sophisticated moments," she said, embarrassed.

"Ah, it was cute," John teased. The Wolf shoved him off the couch unceremoniously with her foot. "Hey!"

"For that, you can watch from the floor," she said haughtily.

Grinning, John crawled back on. "But then how would you hide your face for the really scary bits like you did for the jelly fish in Finding Nemo?" he kept teasing mercilessly. The Wolf gave him a glare, but just asked the TARDIS to start the film, not deigning to answer him.

She did hide her face when Mufasa died.

And she railed at the screen when Simba was banished, yelling about the injustice of it all while John tried to hold back his laughter. Eventually, she settled back into his side with a huff, John's arm falling around her shoulders.

They fell asleep together on their sofa again. The TARDIS shut the movie off and quietly dimmed the lights, humming peacefully to her Thief and their precious Stray as they slept on.


	9. Viking Lore

**A/N: So this is the first original episode of two that I will be writing this season. Also, I just started a new job and school, so updates are going to be slowing down some as I adjust and figure out how much time I actually have to write. So be patient with me!**

* * *

Viking Lore

John looked at the forest surrounding him and the Wolf. "Okay, I give up," he admitted. "Completely clueless. I think it could be Earth, but where are we? And when?" he asked.

"Good guess on the planet Johnny," the Wolf congratulated. "We are, in fact, on Earth. And wait just a – tic," she wet her finger and stuck it in the air. "Late ninth century, 872, to be exact, Scandinavia, what will someday become Norway. For this region, it's a balmy twenty-four degrees Celsius," she paused, "chance of rain later."

"Eight seventy-two, huh?" John asked. "That's the farthest back we've been yet. Brilliant. What are we doing here? Did you get an alarm while I was eating?"

"Nope! I've always been curious about the Vikings!" the Wolf said excitedly. "They're a bit too bloodthirsty for my taste, usually, but I wanted to take a look. Their culture is fascinating. Last time I was around, I was too busy dealing with the last haemovore in existence to really get the tour, and that was a while back."

"Haemovore, Wolf?" John asked for clarification.

"Oh, right! Sorry. Haemovores, they evolved from humans around the year five hundred thousand. I suppose you could call them vampires, of a sort. They did feed on the blood of humans, although they could survive in sea water as well. Same salt content, you see. Telepathic communication, slimy, killed by a stake through the heart, the whole nine yards," the Wolf explained, in full lecture mode. "I was here with Ace in my seventh body roughly, oh, two hundred years ago? But we were here around nine-fifty, so you and I should be alright."

"That stake through the heart thing is real?" John asked, fascinated.

"Oh, sure. Where do you think Bram Stoker got the idea for _Dracula_? Haemovore fed off a girl at Maiden's Point. The rest, as they say, is history."

"Huh. Okay, so – Vikings. Which way to the Vikings?"

_East._

"East is probably our best bet. Come along, Johnny boy."

The Wolf set off through the forest, John following quickly, admiring the plant life around him. He was seeing things from over a thousand years in the past. Life no one had seen in centuries. "Hey, Wolf?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think any of these trees are still around in my time?" he asked. He'd read about the sequoia tree in the western United States that was supposed to be thousands of years old.

"Eh, it's possible, but a huge wildfire rips through here in the fifteen hundreds. Practically the whole forest burnt down. If any of these trees were still here then, it's unlikely they survived that," the Wolf replied.

"Pity. Some of them are truly remarkable." They fell into an easy silence after that, just enjoying the scenery and the company.

Not twenty minutes later, a blast of sound carried through the air, conveying a sense of urgency. "What was that?" John wondered.

"Sounded like some kind of a horn. Only half a mile away," the Wolf answered.

John sighed. "Your next words are going to be 'Let's go and check it out', aren't they?" He was trying to look annoyed but was failing miserably as excitement glinted in his eyes.

The Wolf grinned. "Actually, I was going to say, "Better go back to the TARDIS', but, if you insist." She shrugged and turned to head toward where the sound had come from.

John stayed put. "Wait, what?" He was utterly confused.

The Wolf looked back at him over her shoulder. "Come on, you oaf," she called, rolling her eyes. "Of course I was going to say 'Let's go and check it out'. Who do you take me for? Come on!" she urged again.

John grinned. "Right behind you." The two of them ran the last half mile through the woods, eventually coming upon what John recognized as a longhouse from descriptions he'd read in books on the time period. In front of the building, a group of warriors battled what appeared to be two slimy-looking, bald creatures. The warriors were barely holding their own as the creatures split up and attacked separately. One of them leaped on a man, tearing into his neck and making him scream.

The Wolf whirled around and pushed John behind a large tree. He protested. "There has to be something we can do," he said quietly, mindful to not draw attention to themselves.

The Wolf shook her head. "You remember what I said about the last haemovore in existence?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Seems I was wrong."

John looked down at her. "Really? Vampires?" he complained with just a touch of whining in his tone.

"Vampires," the Wolf confirmed. "And from the looks of it, that house doesn't stand a chance."

"How did you deal with them before?" John asked in a whisper, watching as each of the haemovores took down another soldier.

The Wolf shrugged. "I didn't really. There was an ancient being that controlled them and could kill them with a thought, and some of the more sturdy humans could manage to stake them through the heart, but it doesn't look like either of those are going to occur today."

John's reply was interrupted by the sound of another horn blowing. He looked across the clearing to see a company of soldiers being led by a warrior armored in leather but wearing a steel helmet. The mysterious warrior directed his troops to surround one of the haemovores, while he took on the other one by himself.

The influx of new fighters bolstered the energy of the nearly overwhelmed house soldiers, and working together, they were able to beat the two vampiric creatures into a retreat, though they were unable to slay either one. When the creatures turned and ran, the soldiers let out roars of triumph.

"Beowulf!" one cried, and the others took up the call. "Beowulf! Beowulf!"

John looked down at the Wolf, who looked somewhat surprised. "Beowulf and vampires? We just walked into a story," John said drily.

"So it would seem," the Wolf muttered, eyebrows raised.

"Over there!" a rough voice suddenly shouts, pointing at the two travelers.

"Uh oh," the Wolf mumbled, stepping out before she and John were skewered by the overeager warriors wielding swords. "Easy, easy. We mean you no harm," she said calmly, motioning for John to join her.

John came out with his hands in the air. "We're still doing this too much," he whispered in her ear. The corners of the Wolf's mouth tilted up, but she contained her smile.

"What is your father's name? Why do you come here?" the leader, the one they called Beowulf, demanded.

The Wolf hesitated. "I can offer expertise on the ways of those monsters," she finally claimed. "I know their habits. I can be of assistance."

"And him?" the warrior asked harshly. "What use is he? He has no muscle." John tried not to show offense at the insult to his manly muscles, but his eyes narrowed.

"He is my medicine man. Where I go, he goes," the Wolf said firmly. John figured he should stop being surprised when the Wolf was able to effortlessly fit into any situation she found herself in. The  
woman was a chameleon.

The still helmet-clad Beowulf paused, thinking. "A spirit walker is always welcome," he eventually decided. "I too, know of the Night-seekers, but more knowledge is never turned away. You both may stay." He waved for them to follow him. "Come, we will speak privately."

* * *

Beowulf led the both of them into the longhouse, taking them to the back. He held open the curtain that enclosed a small bedroom. "My private quarters," he explained. "We may talk here." He waited until John and the Wolf were seated before speaking again. "Now, say what you know of these Night-seekers."

"None of the wounds they received today were life-threatening," the Wolf told him.

"This, I know already," Beowulf said. "I also know that those creatures take their sleep in a cave not ten miles away in the direction the sun rises. I wish you to tell me what I do not know."

"Have any of your men been bitten by the Night-seekers and survived?" the Wolf asked.

Beowulf shook his head. "All those whose blood has been tainted by the creatures are slain," he said plainly. John started at the cruelty of his sentence. Beowulf looked at him. "They beg for it. They do not wish to become Night-seekers as well. There are tales that Grendel was once human, until he was bitten by the creature he now follows – his 'mother', the one who turned him. None wish for that fate."

"Yes, I was afraid of that," the Wolf murmured.

"But now, you tell me how a woman such as yourself claims to know about these beasts," Beowulf commanded. "It is not the way things are done here."

The Wolf straightened. "One does not need to be a man to know of one's enemies," she replied haughtily. "And to act accordingly."

The warrior laughed. "Well said, woman," he complimented, finally reaching to pull off his helmet. John stared as the man's face was revealed and it became obvious that Beowulf was, in fact, a woman. She gave him a hard smile. "You are surprised," she said. "Do you not agree that a woman's place is by the fire? Your woman here carries herself as a warrior as well."

John shook his head hastily, trying to placate the warrior woman. "No, by all means. Hack away. It was just – unexpected," he admitted. "And she's not my woman," he added. The Wolf nodded in agreement.

"My brother and I were inseparable as children. To teach one the sword was to teach the other," Beowulf explained. "My father was strange in that he allowed it, and when they both died fighting the Night-seekers three years ago, I took up their mantle as leader of this house. My men follow me, and keep my secret from all who pass through. But you," she said, pointing at the Wolf, "you have secrets as well. Unknowns, whispering in the dark. Tell me, what are you called?"

The Wolf had taken Beowulf's big reveal in stride. "I am the Wolf," she introduced herself. "And this is John." John nodded respectfully.

Beowulf appraised them both before seeming to make a decision. "I have already entrusted you with my deepest secret. One more cannot hurt. I am called Bea. I needed a strong name, a warrior's name, to be taken seriously on the battlefield, and so I assumed the name of the bear. You have claimed the wolf, another respected hunter. It is an honor, Wolf." Bea held out her hand, which the Wolf grasped tightly by the forearm.

"You have our gratitude for this hospitality," the Wolf finished the greeting.

Introductions then completed, Bea turned to John. "Are you still a spirit walker?" she asked.

"I deal in medicines, yes," John hurried to confirm.

"Then would you be kind enough to see to my soldiers? Many of them have been wounded in recent battles, and our house's spirit walker went to Helgafjell some moons past," Bea requested.

"Of course, yes. I'd be happy to," John agreed, making a mental note to ask the Wolf what Helgafjell was later. But now, he left the Wolf with Bea to talk alone. He had patients to see.

* * *

"I need boiling water," John told one of the women that was tending the fire as he left Beowulf's – or Bea's – private quarters.

"My lord?" the woman inquired, uncertain.

"Your master, er – mistress – has requested that I attend your wounded. I will require boiling water and clean cloth for bandages," John elaborated. "And it's not Lord. Just John."

The woman, who John later learned was named Sigrid, nodded and motioned for a couple of other women to assist her. While he was waiting, John inspected the injured men lying on benches on the periphery of the longhouse, determining which were the worst hurt.

Half an hour later, John had sterilized bandages with which to treat his patients. There was one man, Harald, that he could not do much for but make him comfortable. Harald was too badly injured, and was unlikely to recover with the primitive materials John had on hand. John wished that he could have some of the materials that the TARDIS had to offer, but understood that he couldn't interfere in the past with space products from the future. That could cause him and the Wolf all sorts of problems.

Despite his disappointment at being unable to treat Harald, John tended his other patients with a certain sense of satisfaction and content. He had missed his hospital the most throughout his travels, and was pleased to be practicing some form of medicine again.

* * *

**A/N: Yeeeaah, I just did that. Also, Bea is pronounced Bay-uh. And according to a quick Google search, Beowulf's Nordic translation comes out as bee wolf, which for some reason, means bear. I don't know why that is, but it worked for my narration quite well.**

**And Helgafjell is one of the afterlives the Vikings believed in. As far as I can tell it was the one for those who didn't go to Hel for punishment, but also didn't die in battle, so no Valhalla.**


	10. A Sound in the Night

**A/N: I love that every time I post a chapter here, I get new people following and favoriting Storm of the Wolf. That's just so neat, that people are still checking out the old story. Ugh, I just love all of you. **

**Okay, spiel done. Onwards.**

* * *

A Sound in the Night

"Your John is a talented spirit walker," Bea acknowledged as she and the Wolf observed John moving amongst the injured men with ease and poise.

"He's not my John," the Wolf corrected, "but yes, he is one of the greatest medicine men I have ever seen."

"He healed you?" the warrior woman asked.

The Wolf smiled slightly. "More than he will ever know."

Bea sighed and retreated from the opening, going to sit on her pallet. "Now," she sighed, "tell me what you really know of these Night-seekers."

The Wolf joined her. "Where I am from, they are known as haemovores," she told Bea.

Bea frowned. "I am unfamiliar with that term."

"I'm not surprised. It is far from here. Tell me, have you succeeded in killing any of the creatures?" the Wolf asked.

"No." Bea shook her head. "The most we can hope for is injure them enough that they require time to heal before attacking again."

"Then I have news. They can be slain. But it is difficult," the Wolf warned.

Bea leaned forward eagerly. "Please, tell me."

"It requires a stake of wood to be driven through the heart of the creature, and the remains must then be burned," the Wolf described.

"Wood? Such a simple thing. Our blades make hardly an impact, how does wood inflict such damage?" Bea wondered.

The Wolf shrugged. "That is the way of it, I don't know why. But I've seen it."

Bea nodded. "Then several of my men will be equipped with sharpened staves when next we battle the Night-seekers. What other knowledge do you have?"

The Wolf hesitated. "The Night-seekers must be approached with caution. They can – hypnotize their prey, enthrall them. Men are powerless against it. I know it sounds like witchcraft, but –"

"It is amazing that these creatures even exist," Bea interrupted. "They are otherworldly, from Hel itself. Any mystical powers that they may possess does not surprise me." She paused. "However, my men are a suspicious lot, so we will keep that information between us until it becomes necessary to reveal it."

"As you say," the Wolf agreed.

"You will stay here tonight," Bea changed subjects abruptly. "You and John. He may keep an eye on the wounded, and you and I can discuss strategy for the upcoming battle."

"I am not a soldier," the Wolf protested, backing up the topic quickly. "I don't do strategy. I only offered up my expertise on the haemovores. I don't make battle plans."

Bea considered her thoughtfully. "You say you are not a soldier, Wolf, but I see battle and death in your eyes. You have seen war before."

"And the results were devastating," the Wolf informed her. "I will not partake again."

Bea was silent for a long moment before finally nodding. "Very well," she acquiesced. "Still, you and John will remain as our honored guests. You have both already done so much for us." She looked through the curtain at her people, and the Wolf saw the love and fear for them in Bea's eyes.

"Your house would follow you anywhere, woman or not," the Wolf said quietly.

The warrior looked over at her. "Aye. They have followed me to blood and death, but I would end this foul business."

* * *

Bea and her warriors entertained the Wolf and John throughout the evening meal with stories of their exploits from the time before the arrival of the haemovores. They were a rowdy bunch, John noticed, but had a deep loyalty to their leader. They may not have been a traditional house, but he got the feeling that they were fearless and would follow Bea anywhere.

After eating, John spent some time with Harald, whose sister happened to be Sigrid. She had been by her brother's side all evening, Bea having freed her from her duties to attend Harald. The young woman was stoic, hiding her emotions behind a mask as she tended her brother's wounds, making sure he was as comfortable as possible. John distracted Harald from his pains with stories of his adventures with the Wolf, carefully edited to fit the time period and to cover up the presence of aliens.

"Mistress Wolf sounds like an amazing woman," Sigrid said in admiration after John described the watered down events of what had occurred at 10 Downing Street. He had adjusted the tale to make it sound like one house had invaded a rival's land holdings, and had been eradicated through the use of fire bombs thrown from the trees surrounding the invaders' camp.

John nodded. "She is," he answered with a smile. "But tell me of your leader. She is quite extraordinary herself."

Harald managed a proud nod. "We have served Bea and her family for generations," he said through a grimace. "We stayed after her father's father freed all his thralls, including our parents."

"Thralls?" John asked.

"Slaves," Sigrid specified, taking up the story so Harald could relax. "Our parents, and their parents, and our ancestors before them were all slaves to this family, but Ubbe freed them when our parents were just children. Even before then, they were treated as people, not animals, as most chieftains act toward their thralls. So when they were given their freedom, our family stayed on as servants. And Harald was even allowed to train as one of Bea's father's carls – warriors – despite our low birth."

"They sound like quite the family," John said. "And Bea seems to be one of the greatest of them."

Sigrid smiled. "She is. But what of the Wolf?" she asked, switching topics. "Are you and she related?"

"Oh, no," John denied quickly. "I don't have any family, and neither does she." He shrugged, looking over at where the Wolf was still seated at the head of the table, talking animatedly with Bea. "We just sort of – found each other, I suppose. We've been together for a little over a year."

"Ah," Sigrid nodded understandingly. "You love her."

John whirled to look at the woman, alarmed. "No! No, it's nothing like that. The Wolf is my greatest friend. She was going through a difficult time when she found me, and I helped her through it, that's all," he tried to explain. "She'd just lost all her people, but she saved me. We're friends and we travel together, helping people when we can. Like now, for instance."

"It is a noble cause," Harald said quietly, "and a thankless one." The man began to cough, blood beginning to trickle down from the corner of his mouth. Sigrid hurried to dab it away, soothing the man until he relaxed.

"My brother needs rest," she apologized.

John nodded. "Yes. I'll check on him in the morning. Try to sleep," he told Harald gently, who gave the barest nod.

John stood and took his leave, going to look over some of the more badly injured warriors. Determining that they were all well-settled for the evening, he rejoined the Wolf and Bea at the table. The Wolf smiled at him when he sat next to her. "Is there a place we can sleep tonight?" he whispered in her ear. "I'm knackered."

"Yeah, Bea's going to give us a place. Let me just take our leave. You have to be polite about these things. Nords are easily insulted," the Wolf muttered quietly back. She turned to the leader. "John needs rest from treating the injured," she told Bea. "And I would sleep as well. If we may be excused from your presence?" she requested obsequiously, as befitted the warrior.

Bea nodded. "Of course. John, I thank you deeply for the assistance you have offered freely. A bed and a roof is the least I can do to repay you. And Wolf, your expertise is also greatly appreciated. Come, I will show you to your quarters." She stood, leading the pair to the far corner of the longhouse, pulling back a curtain to reveal a small room with two pallets made up. "I had a servant prepare this room for you. You will of course be given your privacy."

"Thank you, this will work perfectly for the night," the Wolf said.

"Sleep well." With that, Bea left them alone.

The Wolf looked over at John. He bowed, waving her in. "After you," he said gallantly. She chuckled and went through the curtain, holding it open for John to enter as well.

John threw himself down on a pallet with an exhausted sigh, relishing in its softness after a day of hard benches and trudging through a forest. "Some day, huh?" the Wolf asked, looking down at him in amusement.

John just gave her a content smile. "Something along those lines," he admitted. "So what did you and Bea talk about while I was seeing the men?"

The Wolf told John everything she and the warrior had discussed, including Bea's request that she take part in planning the battle that would no doubt take place soon. "I hate killing," the Wolf said sadly. "It goes against every fiber of my being, but these creatures – the haemovores – they are ruthless. They will kill everyone in their path. There's no stopping them by anything but death."

"You do what you must, Wolf," John said gently. "It's like with the Dalek's on the Game Station. I've already seen what the haemovores can do – Harald will be dead before tomorrow night, and there's nothing I can do about it in this day and age. And I hate that. I hate senseless death. But killing those creatures will save so many lives. And they were already locked in battle with the haemovores anyway. You just gave them an advantage," he tried to reassure her. "Now the fighting may end with less loss of life. That can only be to the good."

The Wolf sighed. "You're right." She looked sideways at him. "How are you always right?"

John grinned. "Of course I am. I'm just that good," he teased. "Besides, think of the literary consequences if Beowulf fails to kill Grendel," he joked. "Can you imagine? And that's another thing. Beowulf is real. He's real, only he's not a he, but a she, and she's got mad skills like Buffy Summers or something."

"Who?" the Wolf asked in confusion.

John turned his head to look at the Wolf, wondering if he should try to explain. "Never mind," he decided against it, too tired to make the attempt. "Not important."

"Who calls their child Buffy?" the Wolf asked curiously. "It's a strange name."

John couldn't hold back a laugh. "Indeed." Recognizing his exhaustion, the Wolf quieted and let John fall into sleep while she lay awake far into the night, contemplating her role in the current events.

* * *

John woke to the sounds of horns and the Wolf shaking his shoulder. "John, come on," she hissed. "The longhouse is under attack." He tried to jerk himself into awareness. "Alright?" she asked.

"Yeah," John murmured. "What do we do? Do we help?"

The Wolf shook her head. "This isn't our battle to fight. We're going out the back. I told Bea everything I know about the haemovores. They have to solve their own problems now," she told him, sounding regretful. "But we have to go now, before we get blocked off."

John nodded. "I understand," he said just a bit reluctantly. "Right behind you." He could hear the sounds of battle through the walls of the longhouse – men shouting and shrill screams that could only belong to a haemovore. The Wolf led him out the rear exit of the longhouse and through the barn connected to it. A guard they approached nodded respectfully and let them pass without a word.

Just as John and Wolf were reaching the edge of the forest, she tensed. "Wolf, what is it?" he asked a little nervously.

The Wolf whirled to face him. "We have to get to the woods. Quickly," she said in a terse whisper. "The haemovores split up to attack. I can feel the female in my mind."

"In your mind? What does that mean?" John questioned.

The Wolf shook her head. "No time. We're going." She reached back to grab his arm and pull him along, but John staggered suddenly as what felt like a sledgehammer hit his head. He groaned. "John?" the Wolf asked worriedly. "John!" There were screams and cries for Bea coming from the front of the longhouse, but the Wolf ignored them and concentrated on John. He fell to his knees with a cry of pain, clutching his head as white hot claws dug through his brain, trying to pull him out. "Johnny, listen to me," the Wolf ordered, crouching down to be on a level with him. "Concentrate on me. You're stronger than they are, but you need to focus."

John groaned again, grip tightening in his hair. "Wolf," he muttered weakly. "What's – happening –" He couldn't finish.

"The haemovore is trying to take control, but you can fight her off. Just focus on my voice," the Wolf coached. "Imagine a door to your mind, and close it to her. Lock it and throw away the key."

John shook his head. "I – can't – she wants –"

"You _can_, John. Please, try to fight her," the Wolf pleaded. Suddenly, John froze, limbs stiff. He stood up slowly, his eyes a blank well of black. The Wolf stood as well and backed away. "John?" she tried. "John, talk to me."

John moved his head to look at her, and the Wolf shivered at the emptiness she saw in his usually expressive eyes. "She – wants – you," he began in a dead tone. The Wolf's eyes widened. "Dead," John finished.

"John, this isn't you," the Wolf said as John advanced on her. "Try to think. I am not your enemy, John." He didn't reply – only kept walking towards her at a slow shamble. The guard from the longhouse came out to see what was going on, but the Wolf waved him away furiously. He quickly disappeared. The Wolf turned back to face John, who was still attempting to reach her, his arms out and clawing at her.

* * *

**A/N 2: I received my test results this week, and I got a really good score! I'm so pumped right now, I literally had a meltdown when I saw it. Thank you so much to everyone who sent me well wishes and stuck with me through this summer. You guys are amazing!**


	11. The Monsters in Your Head

The Monsters in Your Head

The Wolf stopped moving suddenly. She stood stock still and let John approach her. He hesitated for a moment at her strange decision, but knocked her to the ground and knelt above her, pressing her into the dirt. The Wolf didn't even attempt to fight him, although she could have thrown him off of her easily. She was certainly the stronger of the two. He placed a hand threateningly around her throat, but the Wolf needed to get through to him, not make the situation worse by attacking him.

"John, it's me," she said quietly. "You know me. You saved me. Please, think about this. This isn't you, and I know you're in there, trying to fight back." John shook his head as if annoyed by an insect. "Just fight a little harder, John, please. It's me," she reiterated. "It's me." John tightened his grip on her, just beginning to cut off her air. "All the things we've done – medieval Japan, riding plasma storms in the Horsehead Nebula, bitchy trampolines – all of it. That's who we are. That's who you are," she said, desperately trying to get him to recognize her. "Remember that? I am not your enemy." John's eyes narrowed, confused, as he shook his head again. He let out a groan. "That's it, John," she encouraged. "Come back to me."

John's whole body shuddered before he threw himself off of the Wolf. He fell hard to the ground and lay there, panting. The Wolf pulled herself up and crawled over to him, pushing a sweaty strand of hair out of his eyes. "Wolf?" he asked, bewildered and still breathing as though he'd run a marathon.

"Hey, you," she whispered back. "You gave me quite the scare."

"Sorry," he apologized, but then stilled. "What happened?" he asked quizzically, looking around him. "How – how did I get over here?" He gripped his head with a moan of pain. "And why does my head feel like it's been filled with hot coals?"

The Wolf chuckled. "Oh, you know, just your average day. Fall under the mind control spell of a haemovore, threaten to kill your best friend. All normal."

John stared at her. "I tried to kill you?" he asked in disbelief. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you? Should I be worried? What did I do?" His questions came out in a rush, his words tripping over themselves as they all tried to get said at once.

The Wolf held up her hands to stem the tide. "Easy, Johnny. I'm just fine," she assured him. He let out a sigh of relief. "You didn't actually _do_ anything besides a very good impression of a zombie. You snapped out of her hold too quickly for her to really command you to attack." She didn't tell John that he'd actually had a hand around her throat. He didn't need to know that. He already looked guilt ridden enough.

Despite her reassurances, John still looked uneasy and shaken. The Wolf stood. "Up you get," she ordered, business-like. "There was a commotion out front while you were out of it. We're going to go check it out." If he was concentrating on something else, John would stop worrying about her.

"There was a battle going on, if I remember right," John pointed out, obeying.

"True, but this was different. It sounded like something happened to Bea."

"You don't think she was killed, do you?" John asked, worried, but now for a better reason.

The Wolf shrugged. "If she was, that would change Beowulf's story quite a bit, wouldn't you say?" she tested.

"You always say time can be rewritten," John reminded her.

The Wolf grinned. "Good to know you pay some attention to my lectures, Johnny boy," she said, pleased and relieved that John seemed to have put aside some of his guilt to focus on the problem at hand. "You're right. Time can be rewritten, but I don't think this is one of those times. Too much history depends on the Viking culture. Bea has to kill Grendel."

"So we need to make sure literature is upheld, eh?" John asked.

"Seems that way. You know Tolkien was inspired by the story of Beowulf?" she told him.

John groaned. "Tolkien again?" He paused and thought about it. "Although, now that you mention it, those haemovores have more than a passing resemblance to Tolkien's orcs."

They rounded the front of the longhouse as they spoke, only to be met with carnage. The house's warriors were milling about aimlessly, some helping the wounded while others seemed dazed. John ran to assist with the injured once more, while the Wolf quickly searched out Bea's second in command – a grizzled soldier named Toke. "How many dead?" she asked tersely.

Toke sighed, at a loss and bleeding from a deep gash on his shoulder. "Six dead, seven wounded, two of those unlikely to survive," he recited wearily. "The worst is that Mistress Bea was taken."

"Taken?" the Wolf asked quickly. "Not killed?"

"No," Toke confirmed. "That beast Grendel mauled one of my men, and just stood over his body while Bea charged at him. And then he merely – stared at her. Mistress Bea stopped running and looked into his eyes. Then they both turned and walked away. It was as though she was in a trance. Can that be, Mistress Wolf?" he asked desperately.

The Wolf nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. The female tried to take John with her." The Wolf shuddered. "I was able to distract her away from him so that he could escape her trance," she lied, mindful of what the Vikings would consider witchcraft.

"So they can be stopped," Toke mused, a glint in his eyes. He turned to her. "You, Mistress Wolf, will lead us into battle against the Night-seekers. We will end this once and for all."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," the Wolf tried to hold the warrior up. "I told Bea earlier, I am not fighting. I provided information. That's all I do. I am _not_ a warrior," she protested.

"They targeted your man," Toke reasoned. "Do you wish them to do so again? Both of you will come. We leave in an hour."

"He's – he's not – " the Wolf sighed, giving it up. "Now?" she finally asked.

"They will not be expecting an attack so soon. You and your spirit walker prepare. We leave in one hour." Toke walked away to gather his men.

* * *

"I'm not going," John said suddenly from behind the Wolf.

She turned around, hands on her hips. "I'm not sure you have a choice," she replied dryly, "but why not?"

"You're not telling me something about what happened. That haemovore took control of my brain, and I tried to kill you. You're not saying something, which makes me think that I got close to succeeding. If she took my mind once, she can do it again. I won't place you in danger," John told her firmly, his mind made up.

The Wolf rolled her eyes. "I was never in danger, John. I could have thrown you off at anytime. I _let_ you get close to me so I could snap you out of it. And it worked."

John crossed his arms. "It could happen again, at any moment, and maybe you'd be too distracted to 'snap me out of it' next time," he argued. "I can't go."

The Wolf sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Do you think _I_ want to go?" she asked wearily. "I told you about the War, about what happened. I told you I was the only survivor." John nodded, remembering their conversation after the carnage of Platform One the first time they had met Cassandra. "What I didn't tell you was what my High Council tried to make me do." The Wolf began pacing back and forth, uneasy with the direction the conversation was going. "I'd spent years running from the war. Decades, even. I refused to be a soldier, to take part in a war I saw that the Time Lords had partially brought on themselves. But it was spreading throughout the universe, planets were being destroyed, races were being wiped out, the whole universe was at risk. I went back to my planet because a friend begged me to." The Wolf paused.

"What happened?" John asked her gently. He didn't want to push her into clamming up again.

She stared at the ground. "I was abducted by the High Council. They tried to make me use a weapon that would destroy the universe entirely. They would survive because they were 'higher beings'," the Wolf scoffed. "As if a higher being would try to end all life in the universe. I refused – ran away. And now I'm the only one left." The Wolf looked over at John and saw the sympathy in his eyes. She wanted to tell him the whole truth: how _she_ was the weapon that could destroy the universe. But she couldn't do it. She would terrify him, make him want to leave.

For his own sake, she knew she should take John home and leave him, but she couldn't yet. She was too selfish. "So I travel the world," she continued, "and conflict seems to find me. And most of the time, I can handle it. An egotistical maniac needs stopping, I can do that. A piece of technology is causing a natural disaster, I'm there. But this..." She looked around at the warriors preparing for battle. "This is something I _actively_ try to avoid. So if I can pretend to be a soldier and a master of battle strategy for one afternoon in order to ensure the world _keeps on_ spinning, then you can walk there." The Wolf hesitated for a moment before admitting one last thing. "Because I need you with me," she said softly.

John stood frozen for a minute, stunned at what the Wolf had said. For the first time since she'd regenerated, the Wolf had sounded like her old self – the woman he'd met in a department store. And John found that he didn't like the reminder. She'd come so far since then. She hadn't come to terms with the loss of her people, most likely never would, but John finally saw how difficult this trip had been for the Wolf. She'd hidden behind a mask of bravado, but she was vulnerable.

He looked her over, noticing that she was fidgeting. She was toeing at the ground, her arms crossed defensively and she wasn't making eye contact. He closed the distance between them and laced their fingers together, forcing her arms down. The Wolf looked up at him in surprise, which then shifted to gratitude. "You always do what needs to be done," he reminded her. "Sometimes those decisions are difficult, and maybe even sometimes you're wrong." She flinched, but John just tightened her grip. "But what matters is that you try," he said. "I've never seen anyone try as hard as you do to do the right thing. And that's what counts." He took a deep breath. "So if I can help at all by being there, then there I'll be. Just try to keep the lady vampire from making me kill you?" he joked, trying to lighten the heavy mood.

The Wolf grinned, squeezing his hand before releasing him and bouncing away, back to her normal self. John let it go, realizing that she needed some distance from what she'd admitted to him. "By all means, then," she announced, smiling. "Let's go slay some vampires."

* * *

While they were following the troop of soldiers to the cave the haemovores were currently inhabiting, the Wolf gave John a crash course on throwing off mind control. "Now, you've already done it once, you should be able to again," she told him.

"Should?" John asked worriedly.

"Weell," the Wolf drew it out, shrugging, "I don't know for sure. But if you feel her trying to invade your mind again, and you _will_ feel it, imagine a door in your mind and slam it shut," she coached. "Stuff all of your thoughts behind that door and lock it from the inside."

"How does one _actually_ do that?" John asked, incredulous.

"It's an instinct. Protective. Think of it like meditation," she tried to explain. "But instead of trying to keep any thoughts from reaching your brain, keep your thoughts away from her."

"Quiet," Toke ordered. "We're almost there."

"Just try," the Wolf whispered. "I'll keep you from getting into trouble if anything happens," she promised.

"Okay," John muttered, not convinced. "Not feeling very reassured, here."

"There!" Toke hissed, pointing out Bea. She was standing outside of a cave with a blank stare. The haemovores were nowhere to be seen. "Wait," he commanded when a couple soldiers rushed forward. "She could be bait. That may be why they took her."

"Undoubtedly," the Wolf muttered.

"How should we do this, Mistress Wolf?" Toke asked.

The Wolf shot a look at the warrior, alarmed. "Erm, well, tally-ho, and all that," she stuttered. She caught the amused glance John gave her. "Not good?" she whispered.

"Bit not good," he confirmed just as softly.

The Wolf straightened up. "Yes, well," she said in a louder voice, "proceed. With caution. Stake through the heart, remember." She made a stabbing motion.

Toke nodded seriously. "You heard her, men. Onward!" He waved his troop forward, and they stalked quietly toward haemovores' cave.

"And perhaps avoid Bea until Grendel is sufficiently distracted?" the Wolf added as an afterthought.

"Yes, Wolf," Toke agreed.

"What do we do?" John asked as the men formed a shield wall as they approached the cave. Bea didn't pay the soldiers any mind.

"Wait here," the Wolf replied. "You're not going anywhere near that fight if I can help it."

"What if _they_ need help?"

"You didn't even want to come in the first place, now you want to get in the middle of a battle?" the Wolf asked.

"Well, no," John realized. "I don't know how to fight. But I still feel like we should do something instead of stand here, useless."

The Wolf sighed. "Alright. Tell you what. If it looks like Bea is coming out of her trance, _if_ the soldiers distract Grendel enough to break his hold on her, we can go grab her and bring her back over here, out of the way. Good?"

John nodded. "Okay. She's just going to want to join the fight though."

"Well, we'll deal with that when we get there." Suddenly, battle cries and the screams of both haemovores and men filled the air, making John flinch. "You sure you still want to be here?" the Wolf asked him.

"As if you'd leave while history hung in the balance," John countered.

The Wolf muttered something that John thought might have been, "To keep you safe, I might", but he was distracted by the sight of Bea shaking herself, looking out of sorts.

"Hey, I think she's snapping out of it," he got the Wolf's attention. "The Vikings must have distracted Grendel. Should we grab her?"

"Give it a second," the Wolf warned. When Bea started looking around, confused, the Wolf nodded. "Okay. Let's go." She and John stealthily ran to Bea's side.

"Wolf, spirit walker, I do not understand," Bea said, bewildered. "How did I get here? What happened?"

"Not the time," John said. "We have to get out of here." He grabbed her arm, but Bea pulled away.

"No, I hear battle. I will not leave my men to fight on their own!" she protested.

"Yes, yes – might I suggest we move the argument over to a more sheltered location?" the Wolf hinted sarcastically.

"No," Bea began again, "I will not – " her speech broke off abruptly.

"Bea?" the Wolf asked uncertainly.

Bea looked back at them, eyes dead once more. "Oh crap," John whispered. "Is that what I looked like?"

"Yeah," the Wolf murmured. "The Vikings must have lost ground against Grendel and the other haemovore. I suggest we back away slowly."

"We can't just leave her like this," John argued. "How did you break me out of it?"

"I talked at you until you recognized me," the Wolf answered heatedly, tugging on his arm to pull him away from Bea.

John conceded, allowing the Wolf to move him a little ways away from the newly possessed warrior woman. "I can see how that would work. You yammer on in this body enough for me to be able to pick out your voice anywhere."

"Hey!" the Wolf protested. "I will have you know that you ramble almost as much as I do." She resolutely turned to contemplate the situation by the cave again.

John grinned. "Yeah, but at least my sentences make se-" He cut off as the pain in his head came back. "Wolf," he groaned.

The Wolf looked over at him, then rushed to his side. "John!" she yelled, alarmed. "John, listen to me. You fought her off once, you can do it again. It's going to be fine, I promise. Remember, slam the door in her face. Lock it." She didn't see Bea begin to advance on her, her face blank.

"I – don't know – if –" he broke off again, moaning in pain. "You have to – get away..."

"No I'm not going anywhere, John. You're going to be okay. Lock her out of your thoughts, John," the Wolf repeated. "Concentrate!"

John shook his head and glanced up, an angry look appearing in his eyes. The Wolf hesitated. "Move," he growled. The Wolf stayed where she was. "Move!" he yelled again as he jerked towards her, causing the Wolf to leap to the side. Out of John's way, the Wolf stared as he swung out with his fist, landing a hard blow on Bea's temple, who had just been raising her arm to grab the Wolf in a stranglehold. Bea dropped like a rock.

John stood over her, breathing hard. "John?" the Wolf called warily.

After a moment, John looked over at her, and the Wolf sighed in relief when she saw worry in his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked, still panting.

The Wolf nodded. "Thanks to you. What did you do?"

John grinned. "Cognitive recalibration. Saw it in a movie on the TARDIS," he explained. "I hit her really hard on the head. Ow," he groaned, shaking out his hand.

The Wolf just stared at him quizzically. "You come up with a lot of your plans based on media, you know that?" she asked, taking his hand and inspecting it to make sure he hadn't broken anything using Bea as his punching bag.

John shrugged. "They seem to work. Are you complaining?"

"Far from it. You're brilliant," the Wolf told him, smirking.

A moan came from on the ground as Bea stirred. "My head," Bea muttered, opening her eyes.

John held out his hand to help her up. "My fault," he apologized. "Only way I could think of to stop you."

As Bea got to her feet, she gazed at John in admiration. "You truly are a great spirit walker," she said in awe. "To cast out the Night-seekers from my mind. That is an amazing feat."

John blushed. "Yeah, well –"

"More importantly," the Wolf cut him off, "Grendel and his mother. Your soldiers didn't sound like they were winning in there earlier."

Bea sobered. "Yes. Grendel and his maker must be dealt with swiftly. Come. We shall go in and assist my men."

The Wolf looked like she wanted to protest, but held her tongue. As they followed Bea after each grabbing a wooden stave, John took her hand, squeezing it comfortingly. The Wolf shot him a grateful look. They carefully made their way back to the cavern the haemovores were holed up in. The sounds of battle had mostly died down, and when the trio entered, they saw why.

At least ten men were on the ground, either too injured to move or dead. The remaining six were standing at the back of the cave, eyes blank and watched by the female haemovore. Grendel was the first to see them, letting out a hideous scream. Bea launched herself at him, roaring in fury as she engaged him in battle.

"Are you okay, John?" the Wolf murmured quickly, keeping her eyes on the remaining haemovore, who was gazing back at them warily.

"Yeah," John whispered in reply. "I think she's stretched too thin." Thin or not, the female haemovore screeched and leapt forward a bit, teeth bared. "What do we do?" he hissed.

"Keep it occupied," the Wolf replied unhelpfully.

"What, like bait?" John asked incredulously.

"Weell," the Wolf said, "that wouldn't be the term I would use but –"

"Incoming!" John interrupted, pushing the Wolf to the side as he dove out of the way of the leaping haemovore. It howled at its near miss. Pulling out some long forgotten memories of a karate class he'd taken as a teenager, John kicked her square in the chest. The haemovore staggered backwards and fell over a corpse.

John heard a yell of triumph from Bea, and turned just as she took advantage of an opening and thrust her stake straight through Grendel's heart. The female screamed in fury as Grendel collapsed to the ground, twitching. The last remaining haemovore rushed Bea, engaging her in a rage.

John watched for a moment, worried for Bea, before movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He watched the Wolf pick up a wooden stave, hefting it as she observed the fight between Bea and the haemovore. He went over to her and wrapped his hand around the stake as well, startling the Wolf. "Together?" he asked quietly.

The Wolf nodded soberly, pain in her eyes. "Together," she agreed thickly. Just as they were about to rush the haemovore's exposed back, a hand on the Wolf's shoulder stopped them.

The pair turned around to see Toke, with the rest of the living warriors behind him. "If you will allow me," he said kindly. "You are not soldiers."

John watched the pain in the Wolf's eyes soften into heartrending gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered, barely audible. John nodded as well, releasing the stake to Toke. The warrior took it and ran at the haemovore with a battle cry as Bea grabbed its chin and neck to hold it still for Toke. He rammed the stake into the female's back, causing it to let out a final screech before it fell to the ground beside Grendel, finally dead.

* * *

John and the Wolf left the Vikings with their everlasting thanks. Bea had offered to let them stay in her house permanently, but the Wolf had insisted that they were just travelers, always on the move. The warrior woman had nodded seriously, parting ways with them after telling the pair that they were always welcome at her hearth.

The trek back to the TARDIS had seemed longer than before, but John figured that he had an excuse for being a little tired. Being possessed by aliens twice in the last two weeks probably wore a person out. He had collapsed in the captain's chair as soon they reached the ship, just watching the Wolf swirl them off into the Vortex once more.

"Can I ask you something?" he finally spoke up an hour later.

"Of course," the Wolf's answer filtered through the hole in the grating where she was dealing with what she called a 'wiring issue'.

"Is there something wrong with me?" he asked bluntly.

The Wolf's head popped up over the grate. "What?" she gaped. "What – what do you mean, 'wrong with you'?"

John gathered his thoughts carefully. "I mean, that a lot of weird things seem to have been going on with me lately, and it's starting to kind of freak me out." He had been considering this problem since New Earth, and the events with the haemovores had only solidified his worries. "It looks like – to me, at least – that I'm doing things that startle you. Things that, being a human, I shouldn't be able to do. You were surprised that I remembered everything that happened after Cassandra stole my body and you were surprised that I could read the book that helped me get you better. And then there's the whole thing at the Game Station, which I still don't quite remember but really wish I did, and don't even get me started on today. You took those tests a few weeks ago, but you never really told me what they said. I'm a doctor, I want to know what's going on with me if there is anything." He took a deep breath. The Wolf just watched him, silent. "It's just – am I okay, Wolf?" he asked.

The Wolf sighed and pulled herself back onto the floor of the TARDIS to walk over and sit beside him. "John, I _swear_ that you are healthy. Yes, you have surprised me lately with your mental capabilities," she admitted, making John tense. "Humans aren't generally known for their telepathic abilities, but there are always exceptions to every rule. I've seen it before. But John," she said firmly, "if there really was something wrong, I would tell you. You're just better than the average human," she told him with a small smile, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it reassuringly. "You're okay," she said again.

John gave her a relieved grin. "That's all I needed to know."

* * *

**A/N: Before I get people gasping over the Wolf lying to John once again: technically, she's not. She's evading the truth, yes, but not outright lying. The tests showed that John was healthy as can be, and theoretically there wasn't anything _wrong_ with him. There's just a few impossible things going on in his head, which the Wolf has noticed, and John is beginning to. So no, rule number one is not that 'The Wolf always lies' (that's Moffat's thing and I refuse to partake in that nonsense). Rule number one is still 'Don't wander off' (that's Davies and I love it) :)**

**The upcoming interlude will cover some of the basic facts of Tooth and Claw, just some of the stuff I could change around. I didn't want to and couldn't change much up, as it's pretty damn good just the way it is. So it will just be some snapshots of the episode. Sorry for the long interlude, I just wanted to clear the air a bit.**


	12. Interlude: Tooth and Claw

**A/N: As promised, Tooth and Claw. Up next, School Reunion! I have gotten multiple requests about that episode, so I hope I do it justice. We will see the return of a couple key players.**

* * *

Interlude: Tooth and Claw

John watched in amusement as the Wolf jigged around the console in rhythm to Ian Dury and the Blockheads, music he hadn't listened to since he was fifteen and in a time of revolt against his parents. "You're a punk," he realized, shaking his head in surprise.

The Wolf grinned at him, her tongue peeking out. "It's good to be a lunatic," she claimed.

"That's what you are. You're just a little blonde punk with some rockabilly thrown in," John countered.

"Would you like to see him?" the Wolf asked, still bouncing around to the tune.

"Go to one of his concerts?"

"What else is the TARDIS for?" she replied. "I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar, the first anti-gravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon, or Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st of November, 1979. What do you think?" she asked excitedly.

John grinned. "Sheffield it is," he agreed.

The Wolf winked. "Hold on tight." She threw a lever down and the TARDIS lurched. She beat the rhythm of the song on the console as the ship flew, causing the TARDIS to speed up and slow down accordingly. The ship stopped suddenly, throwing the both of them to the ground, giggling like kids. The Wolf leapt to her feet and pulled John to his. "1979! Hell of a year," she exclaimed as she grabbed her blue jacket. "China invades Vietnam. The Muppet Movie. Oh!" The Wolf spun around. "That's another movie I love. Add it to the list. The original, mind you." She turned back to go through the door. "Where was I? Right. Margaret Thatcher. Eh. Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from me. Nearly took off my thumb."

John followed the Wolf outside as she kept babbling. "And I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached to my –" They stopped dead at the sound of rifles cocking. "My thumb," the Wolf finished as they both raised their hands.

"I am so sick of this greeting," John hissed at her as he eyed the mounted soldiers warily.

"1879," the Wolf breathed. "Same difference."

"You will explain your presence," the leader ordered.

"Are we in Scotland?" the Wolf asked, copying the sergeant's accent perfectly.

The soldier merely raised his weapon further. "How can you be ignorant of that?" he asked harshly.

The Wolf shrugged. "Oh, I'm – I'm dazed and confused. We've been chasing this – this goat that's escaped from Doctor James McCrimmon's sanatorium here all over hill and dale. It's a timorous beastie. Isn't that right, Doctor?"

John gave her a bemused look. "Huh?" he said dumbly. The Wolf elbowed him in the ribs, making him grunt. "Right," he coughed out. "Goat. Black and white. Name's Spot."

The sergeant stared at them, worried that they themselves were the ones that had escaped the sanatorium. "I have his credentials, if I may," the Wolf offered, going for her jacket pocket. The soldier nodded hesitantly, and the Wolf pulled out her psychic paper. "As you can see, he's got a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. Trained under Doctor Bell himself."

"Let them approach," a regal voice came from a horse-drawn carriage.

The sergeant turned back, still hesitant. "I don't think that's wise, ma'am."

"Let them approach," the unknown woman insisted.

A footman opened the carriage door as John and the Wolf drew near, revealing a older woman.

The Wolf let out a huff of surprise. "John, might I introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria. Empress of India and Defender of the Faith."

* * *

Tired of waiting for the Wolf, again going by Kaylee, to come down for supper, Queen Victoria sent John up to fetch her. "Probably just sitting on the bed pouting because she doesn't want to change," John muttered. The Queen had deemed the Wolf to be unsuitably dressed for royal company, and had ordered that she be shown some of the Master of the house's wife's clothes.

Now, John looked at the doors lining the hall on either side of the stairs. He had no idea which room the Wolf was actually in. Shrugging, he opened the first door on his left and peeked inside. Seeing no one, he moved on to the next door down. Just as he was about to close the third door he'd tried, John heard a rustle inside. Curious, he went in to have a look around.

Another small noise came from the direction of the wardrobe, and sounded like muffled cries. John gently opened the wood doors. A young girl dressed as a housemaid shrank away in fear, still crying. "Shh, it's okay," John comforted her, crouching down to be on the maid's level. "I'm not going to hurt you, it's alright."

After a moment, the young maid hesitantly took his offered hand, allowing him to pull her out of the cupboard she had been hiding in. "Thank you, sir," she whispered.

"That's better, isn't it?" John asked kindly, seating her on the bed. He noticed the girl was shaking like a leaf. "Can you tell me what has you so frightened?"

"The – the men. The monks," she stuttered. "They arrived in the night. They came through the house. In the excitement they took the Steward and the Master, and my Lady." The maid's tears began again.

"Shh. Shh, it's alright," John said absently as he thought about what the girl had told him. The Master, Sir Robert, had been taken, but was just downstairs. He hadn't seen any monks, but all the perfectly bald men were suspicious, and from the stereotypes he knew about, monks often shaved their heads. Thinking back, John realized that he hadn't seen a single servant that wasn't a suspected monk. The Lady of the house was missing as well. He needed to get the Wolf.

Having decided all this in a few seconds, John turned back to the girl. "Listen. I've got a friend," he told her. "She's called the Wolf. She'll know what to do. You'll need to come with me, though." He stood up to go, but the maid held him back.

"Oh, but I can't, Sir," she said fearfully.

"What's your name?" John asked.

"Flora, Sir."

"Flora, we'll be safe," he reassured her. "There are soldiers downstairs, here with the Queen. They'll be able to help us. I promise. Come on." He helped her to her feet. Flora allowed him to lead her to the door, but clung to John, shaking still. "It's okay, come on," he said again.

Flora followed him out into the corridor, where John saw a soldier lying on the floor. "Oh, Sir. I did warn you," Flora moaned.

John dropped to his knees beside the man and felt for a pulse in his wrist. "He's not dead," John informed her when he felt the steady beat. "He must be drugged." He turned to look back at Flora, but the girl wasn't there. "Flora?"

Hands grabbed him from behind. John tried to put up a fight, even managing to land a punch, forcing the owner of one pair of hands to grunt and pull away from him. But something hard hit the back of John's head, and everything went dark.

* * *

Having decided to ignore the Queen's order to change her clothes, the Wolf moved to leave the room she had been placed in. As her hand went for the door handle, she thought she heard a scuffle outside. The Wolf quickly opened the door and stuck her head out, and was greeted with an empty corridor. Shrugging, the Wolf went downstairs to join the others for supper.

She was surprised to not see John in the dining room, just as the Queen was surprised to see her alone and a bit miffed that she was still in her former clothes. "Miss Wolf, might I inquire where the good Doctor is? He was sent to retrieve you. _After _you had dressed suitably," she reprimanded.

The Wolf shrugged. "Oh, he'll wander in shortly. He always does," she said nonchalantly, ignoring the rest of the Queen's words.

Victoria let it go, a disapproving glare her only answer.

* * *

John woke slowly, an aching in his head. He squinted, trying to see the people with him in the dark room, wherever they were. He tried to stand, but the chains around his wrists he hadn't noticed before prevented that. He tried to tug them off, but a small hand stopped him. "It won't work," a well dressed lady John assumed was the missing Lady Isobel told him. "Don't make a sound. They said if we scream or shout, then he will slaughter us," she warned, pointing out the young man behind bars that John had missed in his earlier perusal.

John looked at Isobel quizzically. "But he's in a cage," he said. "He's a prisoner, same as us."

"He's nothing like us," Isobel denied blackly. "That creature is not mortal." At the lady's words, the young man opened his eyes, revealing pupils that had taken over the entire iris. Isobel shrank back from the sight, but John got to his feet. He moved toward the crate as far as the chain would allow her. "Don't, young man," Isobel warned.

"Who are you?" John asked the boy.

"Don't enrage him," a manservant joined in.

The boy didn't pay John any mind. "Where are you from?" John tried. "You're not from Earth. What planet are you from?"

That caught the boy's attention. "Oh, intelligence," he hissed in delight.

"Where are you from?" John asked again.

_Have care. _He ignored his subconscious.

"This body? Ten miles away," the mysterious boy answered. "A weakling, heartsick boy. Stolen away at night by the brethren for my cultivation. I carved out his soul and sat in his heart," he finished with gleeful cruelty.

John couldn't help the step he took away from whatever was in the boy's body, but gathering his courage, he remained still after. "All right, so the body's human," he mused, trying to work it out. "But what about you, the thing inside?"

"So far from home," the boy moaned.

John latched onto that. "If you want to get back home, we can help," he offered.

"Why would I want to leave this place? A world of industry, of workforce and warfare. I could turn it to such purpose."

"How would you do that?" John asked.

"I would migrate to the holy monarch," the alien replied.

"You mean Queen Victoria?" John said in surprise.

"With one bite, I would pass into her blood, and then it begins. The Empire of the Wolf." John's eyes widened at the mention of wolves, but the boy lunged forward, banging on the bars of his crate and causing John to flinch. "So many questions," he spat out. "But you. Look. Inside you. You've seen it too."

"Seen what?" John asked warily.

"The golden Wolf! The howling storm...you and she burnt like the sun, but all I require is the moon."

John watched in horror as the boy transformed before his eyes. He ordered the servants to pull on the chains to try to break them free from the wall. Just as it tore free, the Wolf and Sir Robert kicked their way into the cellar. "Where the hell have you been?" John growled as the Wolf urged him out the doors.

The Wolf paused when she saw the wolf in the crate. "Oh, that's beautiful," she breathed.

"Yeah, you can admire your cousin later. Let's go," John urged, pulling her along with him.

* * *

John hesitated outside the library when the sergeant insisted they leave him to buy them some time. As the soldier emptied his revolver at it, the werewolf pounced and began to tear into him. John watched in a kind of frozen horror.

"John!" the Wolf yelled and dragged him into the library just as the werewolf turned its head to him. She slammed the door in its face and they barricaded it.

Once all the doors were blocked, the growling and pacing they could hear outside the room faded away. John breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced over at the Wolf, who seemed similarly glad for the reprieve. She came over to grab him in a tight hug. "You alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, but werewolves? Really?" he asked with a grin. "Vampires last week and now werewolves? What even is our life?"

The Wolf looked up at him, excitement in her eyes. "I know! But I feel that I must point out that that is not an actual werewolf, more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform. Nor were the haemovores real vampires."

John shrugged. "Close enough."

* * *

"We need to get to the observatory," the Wolf said after Isobel and the maids had forced the werewolf's temporary retreat with mistletoe.

"Down the hall to the right, up the staircase, down the next hall and up the stairs on the left, third door on the left," John recited promptly, before Sir Robert could reply.

The Wolf gave him a look, her eyebrows raised. "Good memory Johnny," she complimented, surprised.

John shook his head, confused. "Just good with directions," he excused.

The Wolf gave him one last look. "Guess we should let you drive from now on, huh?"

John smiled. "Maybe we'd get where we're going half the time, then," he teased.

"Oi!"

* * *

"No mistletoe in these doors because your father wanted the wolf to get inside," the Wolf told Sir Robert. "I just need time. Is there any way of barricading this?"

"Just do your work and I'll defend it," Robert said stoically.

"If we could bind them shut with rope or something," the Wolf went on, ignoring Robert.

"I said I'd find you time, Ma'am. Now get inside," Robert ordered.

The Wolf glared at him. "No. No one else in this house is going to die tonight," she stated.

"We don't have time to argue," Robert denied. "Doctor, please," he called to John, who was standing near the Wolf's back, watching on uncertainly.

John hesitated for a moment, but grabbed the Wolf around the waist and dragged her into the observatory against her protests. She struggled violently in his arms, but he held her firmly off the ground as Robert slammed the double doors shut behind them. "Wolf, we have to end this," he whispered in her ear. "You're the only one who can."

The Wolf stilled for a moment, staring at the doors in an agony of indecision. But then, she indicated for him to put her down and turned to Victoria. "Your Majesty, the diamond," she requested decisively.

Victoria drew back, hands cradling the bag protectively. "For what purpose?" she questioned.

"The purpose it was designed for."

* * *

The werewolf defeated, Queen Victoria honored John and the Wolf, and then promptly banished them forever. John tried to protest. "She saved your life! You can't just –" he began, but the Wolf stood quickly and dragged him up by his arm.

"About time we found Spot, eh, Doctor?" she said cheerily, pulling him away from the Queen and Torchwood Estate. They flagged down a passing cart and hitched a ride back to the TARDIS.

"Why did you stop me from saying anything, Wolf?" John asked her as they sat on the back of the cart. "You saved her. Without you, she'd be dead now, or a werewolf."

The Wolf sighed. "Victoria's an old woman, set in her ways. You were never going to change her mind. The Queen had a truly terrifying night. I let her take back control of one bit of her life. She needed it."

John nodded, understanding, though still not entirely pleased with the queen's reaction. "Tell you what though," he added with a grin a few moments later. "Knighted and banished in one day."

The Wolf chuckled. "Has to be some kind of a record huh? Sir James McCrimmon of Kingston," she teased.

"Lady Kaylee Wolf of TARDIS," John shot back.

The Wolf rolled her eyes at the cover name she now appeared to be stuck with. "You and your television."


	13. Undercover

**A/N: I'm sorry for being MIA a bit longer than normal. Picking up as many hours as I can at work along with an important exam, add to that an unexpected family emergency, and writing took a backseat the past couple weeks. But, here is the first part of School Reunion! Many have expressed concern since as far back as the first few chapters of Storm of the Wolf that I would change Sarah Jane's character or leave the story out. So, fear no more.**

* * *

Undercover

John was laughing at a story the Wolf was telling him about one of her misadventures on a planet of very hospitable slime creatures when they were interrupted by his super phone ringing. The Wolf went silent as John pulled it out and checked the caller ID. He grinned when he saw who it was and tilted the screen so the Wolf could see as well.

"Hello, you've reached the good ship TARDIS, here for your space and time travel needs. How may we help you this fine day?" he greeted Kate Stewart cheerily.

"John!" Kate said with what sounded like relief. "Thank God. Could you and the Wolf come to Earth? I think I may have a situation."

"Sure thing. Here, talk to the Wolf." John tossed the phone to the Wolf, who caught it easily and put it to her ear.

"Kate, so good of you to call!" she answered. "Where and when are we headed?" she asked the teen.

"April first, 2006, my place," Kate requested. "I'm on my Easter term break, but some of the local schools aren't off until next week. I think there's something weird going on at one of them, but I haven't even told Father yet."

"We'll be there before you know it," the Wolf promised. Kate thanked her fervently and hung up. The Wolf handed the phone back to John, who had gotten up to move beside her.

"Where are we going?" he asked, re-pocketing the phone.

"Just a few months after the Sycorax at Christmas, the Stewart's. Shall we go and see what's wrong?" The Wolf landed the TARDIS neatly in the Stewart's front yard.

Kate was eagerly waiting for them outside. Once the Wolf and John exited the ship, she bounded up and grabbed the Wolf in a tight hug. When Kate let go of the Wolf, she gave John the same treatment. "I'm so glad you came!" she said excitedly. "Father and Mum are visiting my aunt for the week – left me in charge of watching her flower beds." She eyed the flowers with distaste.

"Ah, yes," the Wolf said. "Doris and her precious – oh no."

"What?" John asked, confused.

"Well, we may have a slight problem," the Wolf admitted.

Kate's eyes widened. "You didn't," she said in disbelief.

"No of course not!" the Wolf protested. "Let's take this discussion inside, shall we?" She tried to usher the other two into the TARDIS.

John craned his neck around the ship to see what the matter was. "Oh, Wolf. Doris is going to kill you," he breathed. The Wolf had managed to land a corner of her ship too close to one of the flower beds, crushing two of the plants beneath it.

"No, she won't," the Wolf denied, "because you and I are going to take care of whatever problem we have _very_ quickly, and be gone before Doris gets home. Isn't that right, Kate?" she called.

Kate looked up from where she was inspecting the pulverized plants. "And leave _me_ to her?" she asked incredulously. "She'll murder me in my sleep for letting two of her begonias come to harm!"

"Can't we just replace them?" John suggested.

"She'll know," Kate whispered ominously.

"Forgetting for the moment the imminent danger we are all in –" the Wolf began as she once again pushed the two into the TARDIS

"Not me, I didn't do anything," John interrupted. "I wipe my hands clean of this situation."

The Wolf ignored him. "Can we actually focus on what we came here for?" she asked Kate. "What's going on? You mentioned a school?"

"Right." Kate got on topic. "One of the local schools – there's something weird going on. I didn't want to call in UNIT. The military would only freak everyone out and tip off anyone who is up to something. And –" the teen blushed a bit, "– I kind of wanted to be able to do something without involving Father. I've been hacking into UNIT's secure files off and on," she rushed to continue, "and I found out some things. Three months ago, there was massive UFO activity. They logged over forty sightings. Lights in the sky, all of it. Just above the school." Kate went over to the console and grabbed the laptop that still lived there, quickly pulling up the UNIT server. "The 'buffalo' password still works – can't believe they haven't thought to change it." She tapped a few more keys and was a met with a large 'Access Denied' sign. "But I can't get any photos or detailed information on the UFO's. It gets all classified and secret by something called Torchwood. Keeps locking me out."

"Hmm," the Wolf pulled out a pair of reading glasses John had never seen before and stuck them on her nose before she took the computer from Kate. John stared at her, trying to figure out why all of a sudden the Wolf needed spectacles.

_Although, she does look good with – Nope. _John shut that thought down quickly.

"John?" the Wolf asked, looking up at him expectantly.

"Huh? What?" he stuttered unintelligently.

The Wolf rolled her eyes, smiling affectionately. "Did you hear what I just said?"

"Uh, no. Sorry," John apologized, a bit embarrassed.

"I asked, 'How do you feel about getting a job?'" the Wolf repeated.

John pretended to think it over before he shrugged. "I could use the money," he replied with an easy grin.

* * *

"When you said 'job'," John growled at the Wolf as he sat down next to her at the lunch table two days later, "I did not expect to be teaching. Composition. You have me teaching Composition. You couldn't have gotten me a spot teaching a subject I have _any_ kind of expertise in? Biology, chemistry, anything else? I haven't had a Composition course in fifteen years!"

The Wolf miserably failed at hiding her smirk. "Don't blame me for the places the school had open," she defended herself.

"Like you didn't have a direct hand in the magical resignation of two teachers on the same day," John hissed back.

The Wolf rolled her eyes. "Oh stop complaining. Could be worse. I could have gotten you a job as a lunch lady." She pointed out a stain on the table. "Could you just? There's a bit of gravy. Just there," she teased. John glared at her, but kept the remainder of his grumblings to himself as they ate their meal. "Do these chips taste funny to you?" the Wolf asked a few minutes later.

"A bit, yeah," John acknowledged. "They're alright, though. Must be a different oil." He snagged a few and chewed them thoughtfully.

The Wolf pushed her tray away, making a face at the offending chips. "It's very well-behaved, this place," she commented, looking around. "I expected at least some rowdy behavior going on. Bullies stealing lunch money, food fight, hoodies with ASBOs. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones." John gave her a strange look, having no earthly idea what she was talking about. "Huh? Huh?" she nudged. "Oh, yeah. Don't tell me I don't fit in."

John raised his eyebrows and changed the subject. "Okay, but two days we've been here. And I don't know about you, but Composition is not exactly a mind-shattering topic. I haven't noticed anything strange, have you?" he asked in a whisper.

The Wolf nodded. "Yup, Kate was right. She's got good instincts. Boy in class this morning – got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth."

"So what next?"

"We go back to class, keep an eye on the children. If they are the target, we need to figure out why."

John nodded, agreeing. "You done?" He indicated her lunch tray.

"Yeah, thanks."

John piled her tray on top of his and went to return them both to the kitchens. Some of the lunch people were carefully moving a large barrel with strange symbols on its side. They were fully equipped with breathing masks and heavy duty protective gauntlets.

"Careful, keep it steady," one warned. "Don't spill a drop." The cart rattled. "I said, keep it steady. That's it. Easy now. Steady." They moved it safely into a back room.

John curiously watched their odd behavior, but moved on. As he dropped the trays off with the rest, his cell phone rang. He moved to an out of the way corner to take Kate's call. "What have you got?" he asked.

"Confirmation," Kate answered. She was currently holed up in the TARDIS with a computer, the ship keeping her company as she searched the web. "I still can't get into anything locked by Torchwood, but UNIT did confirm the UFO sightings as legitimate before it all became classified. As far as I can tell, they think it was a harmless visit and the aliens – whoever they were – didn't stay for long or even land."

"Yeah, but I'll tell you what. Three months ago, turns out all the kitchen staff were replaced," John informed her. "And this lot are weird. Plus, they have a bunch of new teachers in the Maths department."

"See?" Kate said triumphantly. "There's definitely something going on."

"Yeah, the Wolf confirmed it. She thinks maybe one or more kids are the target." John was interrupted as a second barrel the lunch crew was carting in toppled over. One of the women was splashed and immediately started screaming. "I've got to go," John said quickly and hung up.

"Get her up, get her up!" one of the crew yelled as they hauled the now smoking woman to her feet and pulled her into a back room. John tried to follow, but his way was blocked. "What're you doing?" the woman in charge asked.

"I have medical training, I can be of assistance," John told her, trying to get past.

The lunch lady blocked his way again. "No need. She's quite alright." There was a sudden scream and then it was quiet. "It's fine," the woman excused. "She does that." She went into the room and closed the door before shutting the blinds so John couldn't see in. John just stood in front of the door for a moment, utterly confused. He was going to have to tell the Wolf about this later.

* * *

"Yesterday, I had a twelve year old girl give me the exact height of the Walls of Troy in cubits," a teacher called Parsons told the Wolf.

"And it's ever since the new headmaster arrived?" the Wolf confirmed.

Parsons lowered his voice. "Finch arrived three months ago. Next day, half the staff got the flu. Finch replaced them with that lot, except for those two teachers you and McCrimmon replaced, and that was just plain weird. Her winning the lottery like that, and the other inheriting a bunch of money."

"How's that weird?" the Wolf played innocent.

"She never played. Said the ticket was posted through her door at midnight. And he'd never heard of the relative that left him the money."

The Wolf nodded. "Hmm. It's a funny old world, that's for sure."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the headmaster, Mr. Finch himself. "Excuse me, colleagues," he called. "A moment of your time." Talk died down as Finch turned to reveal a middle-aged woman standing behind him. "May I introduce Sarah Jane Smith. Miss Smith is a journalist who's writing a profile about me for the Sunday Times. I thought it might be useful for her to get a view from the trenches, so to speak. Don't spare my blushes." With a cool smile, he left the room.

The Wolf's eyes widened at the sight of her old companion, a feeling of nostalgia hitting her hard. She hadn't seen Sarah Jane in well over four hundred years, but she still remembered their adventures together fondly. Sarah had always been one of her favorite companions and friends. The Wolf had actually been thinking about her every so often more recently – John reminded her of Sarah so much sometimes. Their love of adventure, their kindness and compassion – they were too similar. The Wolf turned away so Sarah wouldn't see that she had been staring.

"Hello," an instantly recognizable voice greeted from behind her a few moments later.

The Wolf spun around, the close view of Sarah almost taking her breath away. "Oh, I should think so," she murmured with a delighted grin.

Sarah Jane nodded uncertainly at the odd greeting. "And you are?"

"Hmm? Oh!" the Wolf exclaimed. "Kaylee Wolf, physics. Nice to meet you!"

Sarah Jane started at the familiar name, but took the Wolf's proffered hand. "Wolf," she murmured. "I used to have a friend who went by that name."

The Wolf grinned. "Then I'm sure they were a lovely person. Goes with the name."

"Well she was certainly a very uncommon – but amazing – woman. Nice to meet you."

"Yes, very nice. More than nice. Brilliant," the Wolf said happily.

Sarah Jane stared at her for a moment, unsure of what to make of the Wolf's buoyant attitude. "So, um, have you worked here long?" she finally asked.

"No. Erm, it's only my second day."

Sarah Jane brightened. "Oh, you're new, then. So, what do you think of the school?" she asked in a lower voice. "I mean, this new curriculum? So many children getting ill. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

The Wolf gave her a sly look. "You don't sound like someone just doing a profile," she answered conspiratorially.

Sarah leaned back and shrugged. "Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here," she excused.

The Wolf grinned. "No. Good for you." Sarah Jane nodded and walked away from the strange woman to question other teachers. "Good for you," the Wolf said to herself. "Oh, good for you, Sarah Jane Smith."

* * *

Kate followed the Wolf and John closely as they snuck out of the TARDIS and into the hallways of the school after dark that night. "Oh, I am being _such_ a bad influence on you Kate," the Wolf muttered. "The Brig is gonna kill me. After Doris is through, of course."

"Are you kidding?" Kate denied. "This is the most fun I've had since Christmas! Cambridge is boring compared to hanging out with you two."

"Just proving her point," John interjected in a sing-song tone.

"I'll tell you what, though," Kate said quietly, looking around at the empty school, "I don't like schools at night. Never have. It just feels wrong. You know, when I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school. With all the alien stories Father told me, I'm surprised I didn't have more nightmares."

"Alright, team," the Wolf announced before grimacing. "Oh, I hate people who say team. Erm, friends? Romans – no that's not it." John shook his head in amusement. "Anyway," the Wolf got back on topic, "John, go to the kitchen. Get a sample of that oil. From what you said, it could be volatile, so be careful. Kate, the new staff are all Maths teachers. They should all be gone, so it should be safe enough, but I want you to look for anything strange in that department."

"Why do I get the safe job?" Kate complained.

The Wolf shot her a look. "Because you don't have to explain to Doris why her daughter came home with so much as a scratch," she said drily. "I'm going to look in Finch's office. Be back here in ten minutes," she ordered, giving them a firm glance to let them know she meant business. Warning heeded, she turned and walked away.

"You going to be alright?" John asked Kate.

"Yeah, sure. Infiltration and investigation? Some of my favorite pastimes," Kate joked before hesitating. "One thing though. Where's the Maths department?" she asked with a sheepish smile.

John grinned and pointed down a hall. "Down there, turn left, through the fire doors, on the right," he instructed.

"Thank you." Kate marched off with a sharp nod, leaving John to shake his head at how he got involved with two adventure-addicted girls and meander his way to the kitchen.

* * *

The Wolf was close to Finch's office when she heard a creaking coming from another room. Cautious, she backed into the shadows to hide her form. Soon enough, a figure emerged from a classroom a few doors down. The Wolf smiled when she saw that it was Sarah Jane. As Sarah crept down the hall, the Wolf tailed her silently, wanting to see what she was up to. Her anticipation rose as Sarah got closer to the storeroom where the Wolf had parked the TARDIS that night. Sarah Jane was checking every room she passed, so it was only a matter of time before she saw the ship again.

Finally, a few minutes later, Sarah opened the right door. The Wolf heard her quiet gasp when she saw the blue police box resting there.

Now was the time. The Wolf stepped out of the shadows.

"Hello Sarah Jane."

* * *

**A/N: I enjoyed writing this chapter immensely. It was one of my favorites, and I hope I did Sarah Jane and the beginning of the episode justice.**


	14. Past and Future

**A/N: Wow you guys! One hundred reviews in thirteen chapters?! Is that even real? You're all amazing.**

_Previously: "Hello, Sarah Jane."_

* * *

Past and Future

Sarah Jane whirled around, a gasp leaving her mouth at the unexpected intrusion. Her eyes still showed shocked from having discovered the TARDIS. "It's you," she whispered in realization. "Wolf. Oh, my God. It's you, isn't it? Oh, you've regenerated," she realized.

The Wolf huffed out a laugh. "Yeah. Half a dozen times since we last met."

"You still look incredible," Sarah Jane told her.

"So do you," the Wolf said with a soft smile.

"Huh," Sarah Jane scoffed, "I got old. What are you doing here?"

The Wolf shrugged. "Well, UFO sightings, school gets record results. I couldn't resist. What about you?"

Sarah Jane smiled. "The same," she said, but then her face dropped. "I thought you'd died," Sarah told the Wolf, a quaver in her voice. "I waited for you and you didn't come back, and I thought you must have died."

"I lived," the Wolf corrected her sadly. "Everyone else died."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone died, Sarah."

Sarah Jane put aside that sad topic for the moment, recognizing the Wolf's melancholy despite the new face and twenty years' absence. "I can't believe it's you," she whispered.

Suddenly, a girl's short scream ripped through the air. The Wolf immediately turned and ran back the way she'd come, Sarah Jane following close behind. "Okay, now I can!" Sarah Jane called, grinning. As they reached where the Wolf had originally split from John and Kate, the Wolf and John collided as he ran from the direction of the kitchen. John's arms flashed out to grab the Wolf before she fell. "Did you hear that? It sounded like Kate." He caught sight of Sarah Jane. "Who's she?" he asked curiously.

"John, Sarah Jane Smith. Sarah Jane, John Smythe," the Wolf introduced hurriedly.

John smiled. "Nice to meet you," he said before turning back to the Wolf. "We should make sure Kate's alright, Wolf."

The Wolf nodded. "Right." The trio took off toward the Maths department, where they quickly found Kate standing amongst a pile of vacuum packed objects.

"Sorry!" she called out as the other three arrived. "Sorry, it was only me. I was just looking through the cupboards and all of these fell on me." Kate gestured around at the packages, which they could now see were dozens of vacuum sealed rats. "I'm not usually squeamish, they just surprised me," she said, embarrassed. "I didn't mean to scream."

The Wolf grinned. "Not a big fan of rats, Kate?" she teased.

"I doubt anyone's a fan of dozens of dead rats, Wolf," John broke in, looking at the creatures with distaste.

"You can tell you're getting older, Wolf," Sarah Jane interrupted, startling Kate, who hadn't seen her yet. "Your assistants are getting younger."

"I'm not her assistant," John protested.

"Neither am I," Kate chimed in. Sarah Jane frowned as the Wolf merely fidgeted awkwardly.

"Back to the rats," John changed the subject. "Doesn't anyone else see anything strange about rats in a school."

"We never had rats," Kate agreed.

"Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons. They dissect them," Sarah Jane said, sounding a bit superior. "Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?" she asked Kate. Kate didn't answer, looking uncomfortable.

John's eyes narrowed at the strange woman's bad attitude, but he kept his cool. "No, they don't dissect rats in school anymore. Haven't done for years. They're here for something else," he told Sarah Jane calmly.

Sarah Jane looked like she was about to retort when the Wolf finally broke her silence. "Sarah Jane, you remember Kate Stewart, don't you? The Brig's daughter?" she prompted.

Sarah Jane's eyes widened and her demeanor immediately changed. "Kate Stewart?" she asked. "Katie? Oh, I haven't seen you since you could barely walk!"

Kate looked similarly shocked. "Sarah Jane, like Sarah Jane Smith? My dad told me so many stories about you," she realized.

"How is the Brig?" Sarah Jane inquired eagerly.

Kate grinned. "Trying to stay retired. Mum's being quite severe about it."

"That sounds like Doris," Sarah Jane agreed with a smile. "I haven't seen them in years," she said nostalgically.

"You used to travel with the Wolf," John finally connected the dots. Sarah Jane looked over at him, surprised.

"Everything started when Mister Finch arrived," the Wolf interrupted, wanting to avoid a fight. "We should go and check his office." Sarah Jane dropped whatever she was about to say as the three of them followed the Wolf back the way they had run.

The Wolf quickly used her sonic screwdriver on the headmaster's door when they reached Finch's office. "Maybe those rats were food," she pondered as she unlocked the door.

"Food for what?" John asked.

The Wolf quietly opened the door and peeked inside. She froze at what she saw. "Kate, you know how you used to think all the teachers slept in the school?" she murmured and opened the door a bit wider. "Well, they do." John looked up to see a number of giant bats hanging from the ceiling, their eyes closed.

"No way," Kate whispered next to him. John quickly turned her around and pushed her down the hall. The Wolf and Sarah Jane followed right behind.

"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies, and a nurse," the Wolf mused when they had reached the relative safety of the parking lot outside. "Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people. Come on," she called, turning to go back inside.

"Come on?" John asked. "You want to go back into the building with giant bat people hanging from ceilings?"

The Wolf shrugged. "I need the TARDIS. I've got to analyze that oil you got from the kitchen."

"I might be able to help you there. I've got something to show you," Sarah Jane told the Wolf excitedly, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward a beat up looking yellow car. Sarah Jane pulled open the back, revealing a robotic looking dog.

"K9!" the Wolf exclaimed joyfully. "John Smythe, Kate Stewart, allow me to introduce K9. Well, K9 Mark Three to be precise."

Kate inspected the dog curiously. "He looks sort of disco," John pointed out.

"Oi! Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge," the Wolf defended. "What's happened to him?" she asked Sarah Jane.

Sarah Jane threw up her arms. "Oh, one day, he just – nothing."

"Did you try to get him repaired?"

"Well, it's not like getting parts for a Mini Metro," Sarah Jane said irritably. "Besides, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone."

"What about UNIT?" Kate asked. "Couldn't they have helped?"

Sarah Jane's eyes narrowed. "I don't like the military," she told the teen stiffly. "I wasn't going to risk them taking K9 away from me."

"Oh, what's the nasty lady done to you, eh?" the Wolf spoke to the robotic dog in a tone John usually heard reserved for animals.

"I don't mean to hurry you along with the tin dog," John said, "but do you think maybe we could get under some kind of cover? I'm feeling exposed."

* * *

Sarah Jane drove the four to a chip shop she knew of that was close by. Once there, she and the Wolf huddled around the still inactive K9, ignoring the strange look from the waitress attending the shop. John sat at a table with Kate a few feet away. "So you've heard of this Sarah Jane?" he asked Kate.

"Oh, yeah," she answered. "Dad used to talk about her when I was a kid. She was an investigative journalist – still is, by the looks of it. Got onto the TARDIS by accident and ended up in the Middle Ages. Dad didn't know when she stopped traveling with the Wolf. One day, she just showed up at our home, told him she was back, and that she didn't want anything to do with UNIT anymore. Didn't say why. I was just a baby, but I don't think he's seen her since." Kate shrugged. "I guess it didn't end well between her and the Wolf."

John thought about what Kate said for a few minutes, watching the Wolf and Sarah Jane. They appeared to be deep in discussion. Finally, he stood up. "I'm going to get some chips for the Wolf. She's fond of them in this body. You want any?" he asked.

Kate shook her head. "No thanks."

* * *

"I thought of you on Christmas Day," Sarah Jane told the Wolf as she worked on K9. "This Christmas just gone? Great big spaceship overhead. I thought, oh yeah, I bet she's up there."

The Wolf nodded. "Right on top of it, yeah," she acknowledged.

"And John and Kate?"

"They were both there too. I didn't know about Kate at first though."

"Did I do something wrong?" Sarah Jane changed topics abruptly. "Because you never came back for me. You just left."

The Wolf sighed. "I told you," she said gently. "I was called back home and humans weren't allowed in those days."

"I waited for you. I missed you," Sarah Jane said quietly.

The Wolf dropped her hands away from K9, staring off into the distance. "You didn't need me," she said. "You were getting on with your life."

"Traveling with you was my life," Sarah Jane insisted. "The only life I knew for years. You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happened next, or what didn't happen next, for that matter. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. You showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles, and then you just dropped me off on Earth. How could anything ever to compare to what we did?"

"Do you want me apologize for taking you with me? Is that what you want?" the Wolf asked harshly, voice taking on a hurt quality.

Sarah Jane shook her head. "No, I don't want you to be sorry," she backtracked. "But we get a taste of that splendor and then we have to go back," she tried to explain.

"Look at you. You're investigating," the Wolf said. "You found that school. You're doing what we always did."

"You could have come back."

The Wolf's eyes darkened. "I couldn't."

"Why not?" Sarah Jane asked. The Wolf went quiet and began working on K9 again, unable to answer the one question Sarah Jane needed the answer to. "It wasn't Croydon," Sarah finally changed the subject. "Where you dropped me off, it wasn't Croydon."

The Wolf looked over at her. "Where was it?"

"Aberdeen," Sarah Jane said drily.

"Right." The Wolf had the decency to look sheepish. "That's next to Croydon, isn't it?"

John interrupted that moment, holding a basket of chips out to the Wolf. "Sorry, ladies," he excused. "Chips, Wolf?"

The Wolf eagerly reached for the basket. "Oh, brilliant. These aren't contaminated are they?" she asked suspiciously.

John chuckled. "No, they're safe. I promise." The Wolf dug in hungrily as she continued to work on K9.

Sarah Jane stood up. "I think I'll go and catch up with Katie," she said.

The Wolf nodded. "K9 should be fixed in a few minutes. Then we can scan the oil. I'll call you when I'm done," she said absently.

* * *

Kate watched Sarah Jane walk over to her with a small bit of apprehension. The older woman wasn't much like how her father had described the plucky woman he had known years ago. She was hurt and angry, and maybe even a little jealous. "So, what's up with the dog?" she asked as Sarah Jane sat down across from her.

"The Wolf said she should have him fixed in a little bit. In the meantime, I thought we could talk," Sarah Jane said seriously.

Kate nodded warily. "What about?"

"Tell me about you. Where do you fit in this picture of the two of them?"

Kate grinned. "Oh, well, I first met them last year during the whole problem with the government at 10 Downing Street," she  
explained.

"Aliens, you mean," Sarah Jane confirmed.

"Yep. I'm actually the one that blew it up," Kate said a bit proudly.

Sarah Jane's mouth dropped open. "No."

"I know, right?" Kate said excitedly. "And John called me for help last Christmas with the Sycorax. You see, the Wolf regenerated not that long ago, but she got sick from it, and he didn't really know what to do. So I came over and got sucked into the whole thing," Kate finished with a smile.

"So, you don't travel with them?" Sarah Jane asked.

Kate shook her head. "Oh, no. I started at Cambridge last fall. I actually want to join the Science Division at UNIT after I graduate, continue my father's work."

Sarah Jane nodded, reassured now that she realized her old friend's daughter was well looked after, even if she did seem to have a penchant for finding trouble. "Well, good for you, Kate Stewart. I imagine your father is very proud of you."

Kate shrugged. "Well, we don't really talk about it all that much, but I think so."

* * *

John watched the Wolf, trying to figure out how to begin saying what he wanted to without making the Wolf clam up. As he was contemplating the conundrum, the Wolf let out a cry of success as K9's head began to lift. "Oh, hey. Now we're in business."

Kate and Sarah Jane rushed over when the say K9 was working. "Mistress. Wolf," the dog said in a robotic voice.

"He recognizes me!" the Wolf exclaimed, breathless.

"Affirmative."

"John you got the oil?"

John dug in his pocket and pulled out the vial of yellow oil. "I wouldn't touch it," he warned. "It sounded like that dinner lady got scorched."

"I'm no dinner lady," the Wolf said dramatically. She cocked her head. "And I don't often say that." John hid a smile as she dipped a finger in the oil and smeared it on K9's probe.

"Oil. Ex-ex-ex-extract. Ana-ana-analyzing."

"Listen to him," Kate whispered. "Oh, I've always wanted to meet K9."

"My dog," Sarah Jane warned, but with a small smile for the teen. Kate pretended to pout.

"Confirmation of analysis. Substance is Krillitane oil," K9 spoke up.

The Wolf immediately tensed. "They're Krillitanes," she growled.

"Is that bad?" John asked hesitantly.

The Wolf nodded. "Very. Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad," she answered grimly.

"And what are Krillitanes?" Sarah Jane asked.

"They're a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries – people you've invaded or have been invaded by. You've got bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever. The Krillitanes are the same," the Wolf explained. "An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But instead of culture, they take physical aspects. They cherry pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognize them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."

"What are they doing here?" John asked.

The Wolf's eyes darkened, gaining a dangerous look. "It's the children," she muttered. "They're doing something to the children."

* * *

Kate and Sarah Jane loaded K9 into the back of Sarah Jane's car while John followed the Wolf as she wandered a little ways away, hoping to speak to her privately. "How many people have you actually traveled with?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" the Wolf wondered, half to herself.

John shrugged. "Sort of. How many did you leave like Sarah Jane – wondering if you were dead, where you were?" he pushed.

The Wolf crossed her arms defensively. "I don't see the universe the way you do," she told him. "I can see when my time with someone is ending. When it's time for them to go."

"When it's time for them to go, or when it's time for you to run?" John countered, then hesitated before continuing. "Is that what you're going to do with me? Run away?"

"No, not to you," the Wolf denied instantly.

John shot her a look, startled by her answer. "What makes me so different from everyone else?" The Wolf muttered something he couldn't hear, but sounded like it could have been the word 'Everything' before she went silent, not answering him. "You were so close to Sarah Jane, once," John went on. "But now, you act like it hurts you to even think about her. Why?"

The Wolf gazed at him, looking older and sadder than he had ever seen her. For the first time, he saw all the years she had lived in her eyes. "I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay," she said, her voice wavering. "You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone you –" she broke off suddenly, staring at the ground.

"What, Wolf?" John prodded gently.

The Wolf took a deep breath and met his eyes again. "You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone," she said darkly. "That's my curse for being a Time Lord," she spat. There was a pause as John just stood there, stunned, before the Wolf's eyes snapped to a rooftop as if she had heard something. John followed her gaze, both of them ducking as a giant bat swooped down over their heads before flying off.

Sarah Jane ran over, Kate close behind. "Was that a Krillitane?" she asked breathlessly.

"But it just flew off," John said, confused. "What did it do that for? It didn't accomplish anything."

The Wolf didn't say anything, eyes still fixed on the rooftop the Krillitane had come from. "We're going back to that school in the morning," she told them after a moment, still staring at the building, a determined look in her eyes.


	15. Become a God

**A/N: I'm so excited for this chapter. I can't even tell you. Hence the early upload.**

* * *

Become a God

The next morning, Sarah Jane drove them all back to the school, arriving just as the children were filing in for class. The Wolf quickly got out of the car, anxious to get the situation taken care of. "John and Sarah, you go to the Maths room. Crack open those computers. I need to see the hardware inside," she told them. "Here, you might need this." She flipped her sonic screwdriver over to John, who caught it easily. Sarah Jane just nodded her assent. "Kate, surveillance. I want you outside," she said to the teen.

"Just stand outside?" Kate complained.

"You're nineteen," the Wolf said firmly. "It's safer out here."

Kate looked like she wanted to protest again, but Sarah Jane interrupted by tossing her car keys to her. "Here, you can keep K9 company," the older woman suggested.

Kate groaned, but complied, leaning against the boot of the car and watching them head inside. "Don't forget to leave the window open a crack," the Wolf threw over her shoulder.

"But he's metal," Kate called back, brow furrowed.

"She didn't mean him," John said with a teasing grin. Kate rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at them, causing Sarah Jane to chuckle. "What are you going to do?" John asked the Wolf when they were inside and surrounded by milling children.

The Wolf turned her gaze upward, toward the headmaster that was staring down at her over the bannister. "It's time I had a word with Mister Finch," she murmured.

"Be careful," John warned before he gave her a quick one-armed hug and left with Sarah Jane to inspect the computer system in the Maths department.

Mister Finch moved away from the railing. Following the sense of him she had in her mind, the Wolf tailed him to the school's swimming pool. She found Finch there, waiting for her on the other side. She stayed on her end, fine with keeping some distance between them. "Who are you?" she finally asked.

"My name is Brother Lassa," Finch answered in a smooth voice. "And you?"

"The Wolf. Since when did Krillitane's have wings?" she asked curiously.

"Oh," Finch demurred, "it's been our form for nearly ten generations now. Our ancestors invaded Bessan. The people there had some rather lovely wings. They made a million widows in one day," he said in quiet delight. "Just imagine."

"And now you're shaped human."

Finch waved it off. "A personal favorite, that's all."

"And the others?" the Wolf wondered.

"My brothers remain bat form. What you see is a simple morphic illusion," Finch explained. "Scratch the surface and the true Krillitane lies beneath. And what of the Time Lords?" he changed the subject. "I always thought of you as such a pompous race. Ancient, dusty senators, so frightened of change and chaos. And of course, now they're all but extinct. Only you. The last."

The Wolf refused to flinch at his words. "This plan of yours, what is it?" She refrained from the angry response she wanted to give him. The children were what were important, not her troubles.

Finch looked at her. "You don't know?" he asked, honestly surprised.

The Wolf gave him a grim smirk. "That's why I'm asking. Nicely."

"Well, show how clever you are," Finch goaded her. "Work it out."

The Wolf finally moved toward him, making her way around the pool so she could address him directly, even if she did have to look up. "If I don't like it, then it will end," she said quietly.

Finch cocked his head, appraising her resolve. "Fascinating," he murmured. "Your people were peaceful to the point of indolence. You seem to be something new. Would you declare war on us, Wolf?"

She eyed him up and down, as a predator would assess her prey. "I'm so old now. I used to have so much mercy," she told him. Finch tensed, sensing her anger bubbling just beneath the surface. She backed away slowly, eyes still fixed on him. "You get one warning. That was it." With that subtle threat, the Wolf turned her back on Finch and left him.

"But we're not even enemies," Finch suddenly called out, causing her to turn back to him. "Soon you will embrace us. The next time we meet, you will join with me. I promise you," he insisted.

"You made me your enemy the instant you threatened those children," the Wolf countered, exiting the pool room and leaving the headmaster fuming.

* * *

John watched Sarah Jane struggle with the sonic screwdriver, unable to get into the computer system. She had seemed to want to be the one to use it, so John had given it up without a fight. Sarah appeared to be a little more controlled than the day before and had a better attitude, but she was still giving John looks that he didn't quite appreciate and was short with him. "It's not working," she said, breaking the silence.

John sighed. "Here, let me see it."

Sarah Jane got to her feet and handed it over. John knelt under the desk to give it a shot. "Used to work the first time in my day," she muttered.

"Everything's – just a lot more complicated now," John answered, hesitant.

"John, can I give you a bit of advice?" Sarah Jane asked abruptly.

"Go for it." He concentrated on the computers.

Sarah took a deep breath. "Traveling with the Wolf can be – intense. And I don't want you to feel that I'm intruding –"

John peeked out from under the desk. "I don't feel threatened by you, Sarah Jane," he interrupted her.

"Right. Good." Sarah Jane gave him a short nod, still sounding miffed.

John heaved another sigh and stood so that he could look at Sarah Jane clearly. They needed to have a talk. "I know I wasn't the first, Sarah Jane," he said gently. "The Wolf doesn't talk about her past very much, but I know there were many others before me, just as there will be more after me. I mean, she's nine hundred years old. At least. Probably more, but I think she's too vain to say so," he grinned at the thought before sobering. "I also know that she cares for each of her friends deeply."

Sarah Jane tried to interrupt.

"No. Just listen for one more minute," John told her. His eyes lost focus, staring off into space as he considered his next words carefully. Sarah Jane remained silent, listening intently. "She has nightmares, you know," he continued. "About the ones she's lost, and I think she's scared of what she might find if she ever goes back to the ones she left. So the Wolf keeps moving forward, running as fast as she can."

Sarah Jane's eyes finally softened as she considered John's words. "You two are really close, aren't you?" she eventually asked quietly. "You understand her – in a way I never did."

John shrugged uncomfortably. "I've only been with her about a year. I'm sure you knew her just as well when you traveled with her," he said.

Sarah Jane shook her head. "Never quite like that. Are you and her..." she trailed off.

"What?" John's head shot up. "Oh! No! No, no, no, nothing like that," he denied quickly. "She's my best friend."

"Well, she's lucky to have you."

"She was lucky to have someone like you, as well."

Sarah Jane smiled, finally at ease. "I have to say, I do still miss all that space stuff. I saw things you wouldn't believe."

"Try me," John challenged with a grin.

"Mummies."

"I've met ghosts."

"Robots. Lots of robots," Sarah countered.

"Slitheen, in Downing Street."

"Kate told me about that one. Oh! Daleks!"

John scoffed. "Met the Emperor."

"Anti-matter monsters."

"Gas masked zombies."

"Real living dinosaurs."

"Just met real living vampires and a werewolf."

"The. Loch Ness Monster!"

John paused. "Seriously?" he asked, breaking the competition. Sarah Jane was smiling widely now. "Tell you what, though," he changed the subject, "with you, did she do that thing where she'd explain something at ninety miles an hour, and then look at you like you've dribbled on your shirt when you didn't understand her?"

"All the time. Does she still stroke bits of the TARDIS?"

"Yeah, she does," John chuckled. "To be fair though, she's got me talking to the ship now all the time too. But honestly, I'm like, 'Do you two want to be alone?'" The pair burst into laughter just as the Wolf found them.

"How's it going?" she asked them. The two couldn't control themselves enough to answer her. "Listen, I'm glad you two bonded, but I need to find out what's programmed inside these," the Wolf huffed. John and Sarah just kept laughing. "Guys, stop it!" she complained.

* * *

"I can't shift it," the Wolf muttered as she failed at getting into the computer hard drive.

"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything," Sarah Jane said, surprised.

The Wolf growled. "Anything except a deadlock seal. There's got to be something inside here." She stood and began tapping away at a keyboard. "What are they teaching those kids?"

A moment later, Sarah Jane spoke up. "You wanted the program? There it is." She pointed at the computer screens which now all showed a strange cuboid symbol spinning on an oblique axis.

"Some sort of code?" the Wolf wondered. Parts of the cube began to disappear before their eyes, the code working itself out somehow. "No. No that can't be," she whispered, horrified.

* * *

Kate yelled at the young boy stuck inside the school to back away from the locked glass doors. She jumped into Sarah Jane's car and started it up. Apologizing silently to the older woman for the paint job the car would need, she flattened the accelerator on the floor and rammed the vehicle through the school entrance, shattering the glass.

* * *

"It's the Skasis Paradigm. They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm," the Wolf realized.

"The Skasis what?" Sarah Jane asked.

"The God maker. The universal theory," the Wolf clarified. "If they crack that equation, they gain control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, all theirs to use as they see fit."

"Isn't that kind of like you, though, Wolf?" John asked. "You know, the whole Bad Wolf thing?"

"What Bad Wolf thing?" Sarah Jane inquired.

The Wolf quickly glanced at him before looking away. "No, John, it isn't. Never mind that," she dismissed. "The Krillitane's are using the children as a giant computer. Their learning power is being accelerated by the oil from the kitchens. It works as a – as a conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."

John blanched. "That oil was on the chips, we both tasted it," he said, worried. "I ate some of those."

"What's fifty-nine times thirty-five?" the Wolf tested, eyes on the computer still.

"Two thousand and sixty-five," he answered immediately. The Wolf gave him a significant look. John's eyes widened. "Oh, my God."

"But why use children?" Sarah Jane wondered. "Can't they use adults?"

The Wolf shook her head. "No, it has to be children. The God maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code. They're using their souls."

Finch entered that moment, speaking from behind them. "Let the lesson begin." They all spun to face him. "Think of it, Wolf," he continued, "with the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."

"Oh yeah?" the Wolf scoffed. "The whole of creation with the face of Mister Finch? Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."

Finch gave her a superior look. "You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the order? Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."

"What, by someone like you?" she asked derisively.

Finch shook his head. "No, someone like you." The Wolf froze. "The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a god at my side. Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilizations you could save. Pergano, Assinta. Your own people, Wolf, standing tall. The Time Lords reborn."

The Wolf was silent.

"Wolf, don't listen to him," Sarah Jane said quickly.

Finch turned his gaze to her. "And you could be with her throughout eternity. You and John – young, fresh never wither, never age, never die. Their lives are so fleeting," he told the Wolf. "So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Wolf. Join us."

John watched the Wolf, frightened at what she would decide. She took a deep breath, and he braced himself to talk some sense into her if she became tempted. "There are only three problems with your logic, Finch," she finally said.

Finch looked momentarily surprised, but quickly regained his composure. "And what pray tell, are those?"

The Wolf held up a finger. "One. You didn't see what the Time Lords became, how corrupt they were at the end of the War. I wouldn't save them if I could. Two," she held up a second finger. "I told you that you made me your enemy the second you threatened those children. I would never join you. And three. I would make a very. Bad. God." With that, the Wolf hefted a chair and threw it at the large screen, smashing it. "Out!" she ordered, herding John and Sarah Jane from the classroom and Finch yelled in fury.

The trio clattered down the stairs, nearly colliding with Kate and Kenny as they reached the first floor. "What is going on?" Kate asked.

John glanced behind them, seeing the now undisguised bats approaching from the air. "No time for that. We have to go." The group fled to the cafeteria, only to be followed by the bats, Finch entering with them.

"Are they my teachers?" Kenny asked.

The Wolf winced. "Yeah. Sorry."

"We need the Wolf alive," Finch told his subordinates. "As for the others? You can feast."

The Wolf and the others took cover behind tables as the Krillitanes swooped over them. Finch screamed in fury when a laser beam suddenly felled one of the attacking bats.

"K9!" Sarah Jane yelled in delight.

"Suggest you engage running mode. Mistress," K9 said robotically.

"Come on!" the Wolf called, waving them to the exit. "K9, hold them back!" she ordered as the others ran out.

"Affirmative. Mistress," K9 agreed. "Maximum defense mode."

The Wolf sealed the doors with her screwdriver and ran after her companions. She followed them to the physics laboratory, where she immediately began pacing. "It's the oil, gotta be. Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil," she muttered before an idea came to her. "That's it! They've changed their physiology so much, even their own oil is toxic to them. How much was there in the kitchens?" she asked John.

"Barrels of it," he replied promptly. The bats began pounding on the door, making them all flinch.

"Okay, we need to get to the kitchens," the Wolf said. "Kate."

Kate frowned. "Uh-uh. You can't send me away again, I can help," she protested.

"Get all the children unplugged and out of the school," the Wolf ordered instead. Kate nodded. The Wolf turned away, thinking hard. "Now then, bats, bats, bats. How do we fight bats?" No one answered until Kenny rolled his eyes and stalked over to a fire alarm, setting it off just as the Krillitanes broke down the door. The high pitched ring caused them to fall to the ground in pain. Even Finch staggered at the noise. The humans took the opportunity to make their way around the bats and escape toward the kitchens.

"Mistress," K9's voice broke in.

The Wolf grinned at the dog. "Come on, boy," she urged. He obeyed, following them. "Good boy."

* * *

The children Kate had rescued all cheered loudly as the school exploded. Kate grabbed John in a hug. He just grinned and patted her shoulder. The Wolf held Sarah Jane to keep her from trying to go back for K9, though the older-looking woman was now still, staring at the school with a deep look of loss on her face.

"I'm sorry," the Wolf whispered.

Sarah Jane shrugged. "It's alright. He was just a daft metal dog." Her voice cracked. "It's fine, really." The tears running down Sarah's cheeks belayed her insistence that she was fine, and the Wolf could only try to comfort her as she started crying.

* * *

A few hours later, the Wolf had relocated the TARDIS to a park a few blocks down from the school. Sarah Jane walked up just as the Wolf exited, leaving John and Kate inside. Sarah Jane had told them that she would meet them there, wanting to take the time to compose herself after her breakdown.

"Cup of tea?" the Wolf offered, slightly uncomfortable.

"What Finch said before, Wolf," Sarah Jane said abruptly, ignoring the offer. "About the Time Lords. And what you said. That they're all gone. What happened?"

The Wolf stiffened, hesitating. "A war," was her brief answer.

"One you couldn't stop?" Sarah asked.

The Wolf shook her head. "One I did stop."

"At what cost?"

"Everyone else." The Wolf turned tortured eyes to the woman that was one of her oldest and best friends. "To save the universe, I destroyed them. The Time Lords. Before they could destroy the whole of existence."

Sarah gazed at her friend sadly. "The universe has to move forward," she said gently. "And you do too. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world, or a relationship, everything has its time. And everything ends."

The Wolf stilled for a moment before pulling Sarah Jane into a tight hug. She was startled to realize that she was now shorter than her former companion. "When did you get so wise?" she muttered.

Sarah Jane chuckled lowly. "Years of experience. You'll understand when you're older," she teased, making the Wolf laugh.

"Do you want to come inside? The TARDIS missed you when you left," she offered.

Sarah Jane nodded eagerly. "I missed her too," she said as she followed the Wolf into the ship.

Kate grinned when she saw the pair enter. She bounded over to them while John just watched the girls from the console, a stupid smile on his face. Sarah Jane extracted herself from the other two and came over to talk to him. "She hasn't changed a bit," she murmured. "Not in the ways that matter, at least."

"She's amazing," John agreed as he listened to the Wolf talk to Kate about Cambridge and catch up on the Brig and Doris' lives.

"Are you going to stay with her?" Sarah Jane asked, pulling John's attention away from the Wolf.

"Hmm?" John hummed. "Oh. Yes. As long as I can, anyway. She needs someone, and right now, I'm what she's got."

Sarah Jane nodded thoughtfully. "Find me, if you need to, one day. Find me. Some things are worth getting your heart broken for, but I hope – for her sake – that the three of yours stay whole."

"I'll do my best," John promised.

Sarah Jane smiled up at him, giving him a quick, tight hug. "Good for you. Hang on to this one, Wolf," she called over. "After all, you need some kind of a Smith on board, even if he doesn't quite fit the bill," she teased.

"I don't plan on letting him go for a while," the Wolf agreed. "But what about you? What are you going to do now?"

"Oh, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead. Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own," Sarah Jane said firmly. "After all, there's plenty of aliens on Earth."

"Can I come?" Kate asked suddenly. Everyone turned to stare at her. "No, not with you," she elaborated to the Wolf quickly. "With you," she told Sarah Jane. "Just, you know, if you're gonna get into trouble with aliens, I want to come too. Whenever I'm not at Cambridge, at least."

Sarah Jane thought it over before nodding happily. "I think that that is an excellent idea." Kate gave a yelp of excitement and grabbed Sarah in a tight hug.

The Wolf breathed a sigh of relief. "Now Doris will have someone new to berate for putting her daughter in danger."

Kate turned to give the Wolf a hard glare. "Don't think I've forgotten about those flowers, Wolf," she threatened. The Wolf's face fell.

"You didn't, Wolf," Sarah Jane whispered.

John grinned. "Oh, she did."

The TARDIS took off soon after, leaving a teenager, an old friend, and a brand new robot dog to their adventures on Earth.


	16. Interlude: Unexpected Meetings

**A/N: I once hinted back in The Storm of the Wolf that the Doctor's universe existed in my storyline. Here is what happens when those two universes suddenly collide. Also, this idea was prompted by DooWeeBipBopBamLookAtThisLamb (I will never get over your username) a while back, so props to her!**

* * *

Interlude: Unexpected Meetings

The Wolf and John stumbled out of the TARDIS, retching, as smoke billowed out after them. "What happened?" John yelled over the clanking and groaning the console was making from inside the phone box.

"I'm not sure," the Wolf answered, dragging him away. "Some kind of a wormhole. The TARDIS accidentally crossed over into some kind of an alternate universe."

"Is that even possible?"

The Wolf shrugged. "Used to be easy, if you had seven other Time Lords to help you fly your ship. With just me, well – "

John nodded sympathetically. "Can you get us back?" he asked, back on subject.

The Wolf opened her mouth to answer, but she was drowned out by an alarm sounding from the TARDIS. "No, no, no, no, no!" she shouted, running back to her ship. John tried to follow her, but she motioned for him to stay put. "Stay there, John, it's too dangerous!" She disappeared into the smoke.

John could hear clanging coming from the ship, but couldn't make out what was going on. The TARDIS kept up its alarms for several minutes before falling ominously silent. He was just about to ignore the Wolf's orders and follow her inside when she reappeared, backing slowly outside. John went up to stand next to her. "She's gone," the Wolf whispered, her voice dead. "She couldn't handle the universe switch. Not the right kind of Vortex energy. She can't operate."

"Is there anything you can do?" John asked.

The Wolf shook her head dumbly. John pulled her into a tight hug, holding her against him. The Wolf's eyes were dry, but he could see that she was falling apart right in front of him. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear.

Suddenly, the sounds of the TARDIS materializing filled the air. The Wolf removed herself from John's arms, eyes roving around wildly as she searched for the source of the noise. "That's not possible," she muttered.

"What is it, Wolf?" John asked uneasily.

"It's almost like –" the Wolf began.

The TARDIS finished its materialization, and a young girl wandered out. "Doctor?" she called. "Doctor what did we land here for?"

"I dunno, Rose. Something throwing off the TARDIS trajectory..." a man walked out after the girl called Rose, catching sight of the other pair. He immediately assumed a protective stance, partially shielding Rose from their view, although she poked her head around him curiously, trying to get a look at the two strangers.

John was amused for a moment, until he realized the Wolf was doing the same thing with him, even though she was nearly a foot shorter. He rolled his eyes fondly. He leaned over. "What are those two doing with your TARDIS?" he asked quietly.

She was too busy staring at the other man to answer John, her posture stiff. "That's not possible," she said to herself. The man was also staring at her like she was ghost.

"Which one are you," the stranger called over, sounding defensive, yet hopeful.

"I could ask you the same question," the Wolf answered. John could see the identical emotions warring in her face.

"Doctor, what's going on?" the girl named Rose asked.

"The Doctor?" the Wolf scoffed. "You're Theta? Not a chance."

"I am the Doctor," the Doctor protested.

"What are you doing with my TARDIS?"

"It's – it's_ my_ TARDIS!" the Doctor spluttered.

"It bloody well is not!"

"Alternate universe, Wolf," John muttered.

The Doctor caught her name. "The Wolf? Kuryak? You're alive? How?"

"Different universe," the Wolf answered. "If you're alive in this universe, I think you know how," she answered, her face grim. The Doctor faltered.

"Doctor, is she talking about the –" Rose trailed off.

"Yes, Rose," the Doctor confirmed sadly. "The Time War claimed billions of lives. Yours included," he told the Wolf. "I take it they managed to keep me planetside in your universe."

The Wolf nodded. "I ran away, but you felt that it was your duty to remain," she said forlornly.

"It was the same for you here. Kuryak was one of my oldest and only friends," he told Rose.

The Wolf nodded. John was taking a good look at the Doctor, and noticed more than a few similarities. "Wolf, why does he look like me?" he asked in a whisper.

The Wolf cocked her head, giving the Doctor and appraising glance. "Good question Johnny. I have no idea. It can't be spatial genetic multiplicity – different species, you see," she mused.

"Spatial whose-it?"

"Yes, and you look rather like Rose, don't you Kuryak?" the Doctor interrupted. "I wonder how – OH! Alternate universes leading to connected beings through time and space causing similar appearances between individuals leading similar lives with kindred personalities!" he exclaimed in a rush.

John stared at him. "I think I almost understood him, but do I talk like that?" he asked incredulously.

The Wolf grinned. "Not all the time, but you have your moments," she answered fondly, patting him on the cheek comfortingly.

"So you're saying that they're like our universe twins, but we've been switched?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"Exactly!" The Doctor whipped out a pair of glasses and ran up to inspect John, making him lean back, uncomfortable. Apparently the Wolf wasn't the only one with unnecessary spectacles and no sense of personal boundaries. "Yes, yes, certainly – hang on." He turned to the Wolf. "How did you two get here? Crossing between universes is impossible with the Time Lords gone."

"Not impossible, Doctor," Rose said, walking up behind him. "We just did it, remember."

"Weeelll, true, Rose. But still, highly, highly unlikely. The odds are astronomical," the Doctor pointed out.

"You did this before?" the Wolf asked quickly. "What about your TARDIS? Did she make it okay, because – mine's dead." Her voice thickened with pain at her last words, and John put his arm around her shoulders.

"Ours did that as well," Rose answered kindly. "But he got it back with a – what did you call it, Doctor?"

The Doctor nodded excitedly. "One last little power cell survived our trip. After a little charging, she did just fine, apart from a rough ride back. Hopefully yours has done the same."

The Wolf's eyes brightened. "Well, let's go and see, shall we?"

* * *

When an hour's search revealed no energy source remaining, John could see the Wolf practically wilting with the knowledge that her beloved ship may be really dead. Eventually, she sat on the captain's chair, discouraged. John went over to stand near her, trying to offer her some kind of comfort. The Doctor was muttering under some of the grating, and Rose was sitting on the platform above him, observing while swinging her legs back and forth over his head.

Suddenly, a crazy thought occurred to John. "Wait a minute," he said.

The Wolf looked up at him. "What is it, John?" The Doctor and Rose looked over too, the Doctor rubbing his head balefully where Rose had accidentally kicked it as he was popping his head up through the grating.

"When you guys were talking earlier, you said something about counterparts, right?" he asked, starting to pace as he tried to organize his idea.

"Yeah, what about it, Johnny?" the Doctor asked, having picked up the Wolf's nickname for him already.

"So according to you guys, the Doctor is my – kindred spirit, for lack of a better term, and Rose is yours," John confirmed.

"Right, but what does that have to do with my TARDIS?" the Wolf asked.

"Hang on, I'm getting there." John was growing excited now. "So wouldn't it be plausible to assume that the Doctor's TARDIS is identical to your TARDIS, Wolf? I mean, it looks the same and sounds the same."

"OH! I see what you're getting at!" the Doctor said, grinning.

"Yes! I do too!" the Wolf said enthusiastically.

"You mean you want to exchange a power cell with one of ours?" Rose asked hesitatingly.

"Exactly, Rose! Our TARDIS' power cells are built to run off of this universe's energy, and really, one is all you need to fly the old girl. The rest are just extras and will regenerate once you get back to your home universe. Brilliant idea John! You really are like me," the Doctor said before rushing out the door and back to his TARDIS. He returned not a minute later, a glowing egg-shaped cell cradled in his hands.

The Wolf almost looked to be in tears at the sight of it. "She's beautiful," she whispered, taking it when the Doctor carefully offered it to her. She removed a dead one and handed it to the Doctor. "Will your TARDIS be able to adapt this one to your universe and use it?" she asked him.

"Don't see why not. Yes, it should work brilliantly. Assuming this works, which it should," the Doctor answered. "Let's see, shall we?"

The Wolf jumped back down under the grating and gently installed the power cell. With a flicker, the TARDIS hummed back to life.

Noises of celebration filled the ship as the Wolf and John and the Doctor and Rose embraced. "You've got a smart one there, Kuryak," the Doctor complimented.

The Wolf grinned. "So do you, Theta," she told him, nodding at Rose.

The Doctor looked at Rose fondly before turning back. "Well, I guess this is goodbye then," he said.

The Wolf nodded. "And none of us will remember this."

"What? Why not?" Rose asked, surprised.

"Kuryak and I are alone in our respective universes," the Doctor said sadly. "Remembering, the temptation would be too great. Better that none of us know what happened."

"But for just a little while, we weren't alone," the Wolf told him. "And I want you to know that I miss my friend every day."

The Doctor gave her a small smile. "Me too." He lifted the Wolf into a hug, spinning her around. She clung to him tightly.

John stuck out his hand to Rose, but wasn't too surprised when she hugged him tightly instead. She was, after all, like the Wolf. "Take care of her," she whispered in his ear.

"You take care of him," he muttered back. "But it seems like you do a pretty good job of that already."

Rose pulled back and smiled at the Doctor fondly. "Don't know what he'd do without me," she said teasingly.

The Doctor scoffed, having caught that last bit. "I'd have more bananas in the kitchen, I'm sure," he shot back. He shook John's hand. "Good to know my counterpart has done so much with himself," he said, grinning.

John smiled back. "Same to you."

The Wolf and Rose hugged quickly, before the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and they left the TARDIS together. Rose sent one last wave over her shoulder before the doors clicked shut behind them.

John looked down at the Wolf, standing next to him. "Do you regret it, Wolf?"

The Wolf looked at him quizzically. "Regret what?" she asked.

"That you're not going to be able to remember any of this?" he clarified. "That you're friend is still alive. Even if it's not in the same universe, you could know that he was still alive."

The Wolf smiled gently and took his hand, tugging him over to start the lift-off sequence. "I have you, John," she said seriously. "What could I possibly regret?" She flipped one last lever. "Now, onwards and upwards?"

John grinned and nodded. "Onwards and upwards, Wolf. Allonsy."

* * *

**A/N: On a side note, the next chapter may take a little longer, as my life has become rather busy of late, and I haven't had as much time to work on Howling as I would like. That said, I am working on The Girl in the Fireplace, and it will hopefully be up soon!**


	17. Magic Door

**A/N: Wow, you guys! Over ten thousand views in just sixteen chapters? Color me amazed. You're awesome, all of you.**

* * *

Magic Door

John stepped out of the TARDIS and looked around in amazement. "It's a spaceship. Brilliant! We haven't been on a spaceship in forever."

The Wolf joined him outside. "Actually, this is the first real spaceship you've been on," she corrected. "All the others were space stations. Stationary."

"Even better." John wandered around the room, which seemed to be the hub of the ship. "It looks kind of abandoned," he mused. "Anyone here?"

"Nah, nothing here. Well, nothing dangerous," the Wolf amended. "Well, not that dangerous." She paused.

"Better check?" John prompted.

"You know what, I'll just have a quick scan, in – case there's anything dangerous," the Wolf finished, ignoring John resolutely.

While the Wolf messed with the ship controls, John went over to a viewing screen. "So, what's the date?" he asked. "How far ahead are we?"

"About three thousand years into your future, give or take," the Wolf replied. She flipped up one last switch, which turned on the lights, and revealed a star system through part of the ceiling. "Fifty-first century. Diagmar Cluster. You're a long way from home, Johnny. Two and a half galaxies."

"Is that nearer or further from Earth than New Earth?"

"Well, New Earth won't be discovered for another five billion years," the Wolf reminded him. "That one's quite a bit further away. Five galaxies. Or is it six? No, seven. Nine galaxies."

John snorted out a laugh, grinning. "Got it." The Wolf went back over to the controls, examining some ruined ones.

"Oh, dear, had some cowboys in here. There's a ton of repair work going on." John went over to see what she was doing. "Look at that," she continued, pointing out a graph that seemed to be registering as off the scale. "All the warp engines are going full capacity. There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe. But we're not moving. So where's all that power going?" she asked rhetorically, puzzled.

John shrugged. "Where'd all the crew go?" he asked instead.

The Wolf nodded thoughtfully. "Good question, Johnny boy. There aren't any life signs registering on board."

"Well, we're in deep space. They didn't just nip out for a bathroom break," John said.

"No, they do have facilities for that activity this far in the future," the Wolf drawled, smiling wryly. "And I checked them." She sniffed the air suddenly. "Can you smell that?"

John put his nose in the air. "Yeah, someone's cooking."

"Odd." The Wolf tapped the console screen a few times to open the door behind them. It slid shut after they passed with a quiet hiss.

The far wall of the new room was paneled, and an ornate fireplace set in the wall contained a blazing fire. A ticking clock completed the look of the mantlepiece. "Well, there's something you don't see on your everyday average spaceship." She tapped the wood of the mantle. "Eighteenth century. French. Nice mantle," she complimented. "Not a hologram, not even a reproduction. This actually is an eighteenth century French fireplace." She knelt down to peer through it. "Double sided. There's another room through here."

While the Wolf was inspecting the fire, John wandered over to a porthole along the same wall. "That's impossible," he informed her. "This is the outer hull of the ship. The fireplace is going to nowhere."

"Hello," the Wolf said gently.

John turned around, confused, only to find the Wolf still staring through the fireplace. He went over and knelt down next to her, and was startled when he saw a young blonde girl, no older than eight or so, in a night gown, staring back at them.

"Hello," the girl greeted hesitantly.

"What's your name?" the Wolf asked.

"Reinette."

The Wolf nodded. "Reinette. That's a lovely name. Can you tell me where you are, Reinette?"

"In my bedroom."

"And where's your bedroom? Where do you live, Reinette?"

Reinette's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Paris, of course."

"Paris, right!" the Wolf said as if it had been obvious.

"Hi, Reinette," John waved at the girl.

Reinette waved back nervously. "Monsieur, Madame, what are you doing in my fireplace?" she finally asked.

"Oh, just a routine fire check," John improvised.

"Can you tell us what year it is?" the Wolf added.

"Of course I can," Reinette said indignantly. "It's seventeen hundred and twenty-seven."

"Right, lovely year. August is rubbish though," the Wolf warned. "Stay indoors. Okay, that's all for now." She stood up, leaving John on the floor.

"Thanks for your help," John said kindly. "Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire. Night night."

"Good night Monsieur," Reinette farewell-ed. He stood too and moved away from the fireplace.

"If this is fifty-first century, how did we just talk to the eighteenth?" he asked the Wolf.

"If you'd recall, I also said that this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe. I think we just found the hole," the Wolf muttered. "Must be a spatio-temporal hyperlink."

John blinked. "What's that?" he asked blankly.

The Wolf paused and wrinkled her nose, making a face. "No idea. Just made it up," she admitted. "Didn't want to say magic door."

John rolled his eyes, going over and kneeling to inspect the grate more closely. "And on the other side of your so-called magic door was France in seventeen twenty-seven."

The Wolf rejoined him, taking a look at the upper mantel. "Yep, she was speaking French. Right period French, too. Gotcha!"

"Wolf?" John asked as she pulled a switch hidden inside the mantlepiece, causing them both to rotate as the fireplace spun, dropping them off in a well decorated bedroom. Reinette was sleeping peacefully in her bed, but woke with a start when John lost his balance and fell the foot to the ground from his crouched position.

"Sh, sh, it's okay," the Wolf reassured the girl. "Don't scream, it's just us. It's the fireplace people. Look," she pointed at the fireplace. "We were talking just a moment ago. We were in your fireplace." She lit a candle with her screwdriver to bring some light to the room.

"Madame, that was weeks ago. That was months," Reinette told her, puzzled.

The Wolf tilted her head and faced the fireplace again. "Has it? Must be a loose connection," she pondered. "You should get a man in about that."

John noticed something and got to his feet to take a look at the clock sitting on the mantle. "Wolf?" he drew her attention to it.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Reinette asked, but the two adults didn't answer, both staring at the broken clock.

"Okay, that's scary," the Wolf breathed.

"You're scared of a broken clock?" Reinette sounded unimpressed.

The Wolf motioned for John to join Reinette on the bed and he obeyed, going to sit next to her. "Just a bit scared, yeah," he said. "Just a little tiny bit."

"Because you see," the Wolf picked up the explanation, "if this clock's broken, and it's the only clock in the room, then what's that?" With silence pervading the room, the loud tick tock of a clock could be easily heard. "Because, that's not a clock. You can tell by the resonance. Too big. Six feet, I'd say. The size of a man."

"What is it?" Reinette asked, now a little frightened as well.

John drew her into his side, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders, following along with the Wolf's plan. "Well, let's think," he encouraged. "If you were a thing that ticked and you were hiding in someone's bedroom, first thing you do – break the clock."

"No one notices the sound of one clock ticking, but two?" the Wolf agreed. "You might start to wonder if you're really alone." She carefully walked toward the bed, motioning for John to stay put. "Stay on the bed," she told the girl. "Right in the middle. Don't put your hands or feet over the edge." The Wolf knelt beside the bed and peered under it, sonic screwdriver at the ready.

Suddenly, something lashed out, knocking the screwdriver flying from her hand. She stood quickly, to find a robotic figure standing on the other side of the bed, a grotesque smiling mask over its face. The Wolf shot John a warning glance. "Reinette," she whispered, "Don't look around." John held the girl still. "You stay exactly where you are. Hold still, let me look." She gently held the girl's head between her hands and looked into her eyes.

After a moment, she glared up at the robot. John almost flinched at the fury in her eyes. "You've been scanning her brain. What, you've crossed two galaxies and thousands of years just to scan a child's brain?" she asked angrily. "What could there be in a little girl's mind worth blowing a hole in the universe? Worth risking her?"

Reinette shook her head. "I don't understand. It wants me?" She turned to stare at the robot. "You want me?"

"Not yet. You are incomplete," the robot told her.

"Incomplete? What's that mean, incomplete?" The droid ignored the Wolf's questions. "If you can answer her, you can answer me. What do you mean, incomplete?"

The android silently walked around the bed and deployed a spinning blade from its hand. A whirring filled the room, but not the comforting noise of the sonic screwdriver. The Wolf backed away towards the fireplace as John leapt from the bed. Reinette grabbed onto his hand, holding him back. "Please, Monsieur, be careful," she begged.

John smiled down at her. "It's just a nightmare, Reinette," he told her. "Don't worry about it. Everyone has nightmares." The Wolf dodged as the robot slashed at her. "Careful, Wolf!" he called.

"Wouldn't have thought of that, thanks," the Wolf growled, eerily reminiscent of the Sycorax encounter. "More to the point, though. Even monsters from under the bed have nightmares. Don't you, monster?" she asked the droid.

The robot struck at her again, but when the Wolf dodged, its blade dug into the mantle and stuck. It jerked to no avail, unable to free itself, but it just kept on tugging.

"What do monsters have nightmares about?" Reinette asked, still kneeling on the bed.

John grinned at the girl as the Wolf pulled on the lever that would take them back to the spaceship. "Her!" he answered cheerfully as they rotated away, leaving behind a very puzzled little girl.

As soon as the fireplace stopped, the Wolf ran across the room. The robot pulled free just as the Wolf reached the opposite wall and began going after John. "Uh, Wolf?" he called for her. "Little help?"

The Wolf seized an impressive looking pressurized tube from a rack and quickly fired its contents over the android just as it backed John into a corner. A white substance sprayed out, and the droid immediately froze up, its motions grinding to a halt. "Excellent," John complimented, breathing a sigh of relief. "Ice gun."

"Fire extinguisher," the Wolf corrected as she inspected the now unmoving robot.

John looked too, but from a healthy distance. "So that thing is from here?" he asked.

"Yup. Took a field trip to France," the Wolf confirmed.

"Explains the fancy dress." John indicated the brocaded clothes the robot was wearing.

The Wolf nodded. "Yeah, must be some kind of basic camouflage protocol. Nice needlework, shame about the face." She removed the android's frontal portion and revealed numerous wheels and gears like clockwork inside the head. "Oh, you are beautiful," she breathed, staring at the workmanship in awe. She focused back on the robot as a whole. "No, really, you are. You're gorgeous! Look at that. Space age clockwork."

"Very steampunk," John agreed.

"I love it," the Wolf declared. "I've got chills. Listen," she told the droid, "seriously, I mean this from the heart, and, by the way, count those, it would be a crime – it would be an act of vandalism – to disassemble you." She held up her sonic. "But you threatened a child, so that won't stop me."

The android suddenly clicked and beamed away.

"Short range teleport. Can't have got far," the Wolf exclaimed urgently, running back to the mantle, John following. "Could still be on board."

"Where are you going?" John asked.

"Back in a sec."

John shook his head. "Uh uh, not without me you're not." He jumped on as well.

The Wolf rolled her eyes. "Oh, very well, if you must," she groaned, pulling the lever to send them both back to France. "Reinette?" she called softly. "Just checking you're okay."

"Wolf, the room's different," John pointed out.

The Wolf glanced around, running her fingers along a harp set up by a wall. "Huh. Well –"

"Ahem," a young woman interrupted politely, giving them a look of amusement.

"Oh, hello," John said uncomfortably.

"We were just, erm, looking for Reinette. This is still her room, isn't it?" the Wolf asked. "We've been away, not sure how long."

"Reinette!" a woman's voice summoned from outside. "We're ready to go."

Reinette turned. "Go to the carriage, Mother," she commanded. "I will join you there." She shifted her gaze back to John and the Wolf. "It is customary, I think, to have imaginary friends only during one's childhood. You two are to be congratulated on your persistence."

"Reinette! Well. Goodness, how you've grown," the Wolf stuttered.

"And you do not appear to have aged a single day." A hint of a smile peeked at the corners of her mouth as she eyed John up and down discreetly. "That is tremendously impolite of both of you."

"Right, yes, sorry," John broke in, backing away toward the fireplace as the Wolf did the same. "Listen, lovely to catch up, but better be off, eh?" he nudged the Wolf.

"Yes," she agreed. "Don't want your mother finding you up here with a strange man and woman, do we?"

"Strange? How could you be strangers to me?" Reinette wondered. "I've known you since I was seven years old."

She backed John up against the mantlepiece, with the Wolf off to the side. "Yeah, I suppose you have," the Wolf admitted. "We came the quick route."

Reinette placed a hand against John's chest, causing the Wolf to frown. "You seem to be flesh and blood, at any rate, but this is absurd," she murmured. "Reason tells me you cannot be real."

"Oh, you never want to listen to reason. Just ask her," John said uncomfortably, nodding at the Wolf and his eyes fixed on the hand on his chest.

A servant called for Reinette again. "A moment!" she said over her shoulder, voice raised. "So many questions, so little time." Without warning, she pushed John up against the mantle and pressed her lips to his in a firm kiss.

John froze, astonished by the turn of events, but Reinette's lips were insistent on his, drawing him to her.

"Oi!" the Wolf cried, grabbing John's shoulder and pulling him toward her and away from Reinette just as a servant entered the room, again calling for Reinette.

"Mademoiselle Poisson!"

Reinette ran out, leaving the servant to stare at the two strangers, confused by their presence. John and the Wolf stared after her in shock. "Poisson?" the Wolf stuttered. "Reinette Poisson? No way. Reinette Poisson. Later Madame Etoiles? Later still mistress of Louis the Fifteenth, uncrowned Queen of France?"

"Who the hell are you?" the manservant yelled, outraged.

"I'm the Wolf," she announced.

"I was just snogged by Madame de Pompadour?" John asked in a mutter as the Wolf pulled the lever to take them back to the fifty-first century.

The Wolf marched toward a doorway that John hadn't seen before, a thunderous look on her face. "You really needed to kiss her, John?" she asked incredulously.

John stopped following her, surprised. "Wait a minute. I didn't kiss her, she _attacked_ me!" he protested. "I didn't have much choice in the matter."

The Wolf scoffed. "Do you know the kind of danger you could have put history in? Reinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour, is supposed to become King Louis' mistress. How can she do that if she's pining after you?"

"I didn't ask her to!" John yelled back, frustrated. The Wolf huffed angrily and stalked through the doors, John going after her, still speaking. "I didn't instigate anything, I was just tagging along after you, as always. What's your problem with it anyway? It's not any of your business if – eye," he halted, staring at a camera near the ceiling.

"If you _what_?" the Wolf snapped, whirling to face him.

"No, not I. Eye," John jabbed a finger at the camera. "That's an eye in there. Like a real eye."

The Wolf's face morphed from aggravated to puzzled as she walked back to take a look at what John had noticed. Sure enough, an eyeball stared back at them, blinking periodically. "Human," she muttered. At her words, the camera quickly retracted back into the ship's bulkhead. The Wolf cocked her head, eyes narrowed, and went over to a small hatch in the wall, clicking it open.

John heard a quiet thump-thump emanating from the wall, and poked his head around the Wolf to see what the source of the noise was. He froze. "Why – is there a heart wired into the ship?" he asked slowly.

The Wolf hesitated. "That's a human heart. You remember what we said the flight deck smelled of?" she inquired.

"Someone cooking," John said, a sinking feeling growing in his stomach.

"Apparently that was literal," the Wolf agreed darkly.

* * *

**A/N: You didn't think I'd cut out all the angst, did you? Those two need a good argument once in a while.**


	18. Windows in Time

**A/N: I have absolutely nothing to say, so just carry on!**

* * *

Windows in Time

"Let's go," the Wolf growled and stalked off.

Their argument forgotten, John quickly tagged after her. "Where exactly are we going?"

"To find out what else those droids have been up to."

"Droids?" John asked, wanting clarification.

"Has to be more than one. Too much work for one robot to maintain. We can assume at least one person was chopped into pieces, and also the link to Reinette. Now, if only I could figure out why they want her..." the Wolf trailed off as a clopping sound came from behind them.

John stilled, not quite wanting to turn around if another killer robot was coming after him with a spinning saw. But when the Wolf merely looked confused by what was in front of her, John spun around. "Is – is that a horse?" he finally asked after momentarily staring.

The horse was bridled and saddled, appearing as though it was ready to be ridden and had just gone out for a stroll.

_It's not coming._

"That would appear to be a horse," the Wolf confirmed. "Maybe if we keep going it will go away."

"Or get chopped into little pieces by a robot," John muttered sarcastically.

_Still not coming._

"Let's just – go," the Wolf suggested. They moved on, with the horse following dutifully behind them. After nearly ten minutes of wandering around empty halls with the never ending clip-clop behind them, the Wolf groaned and turned to confront the horse. It halted and nudged at her chest with its nose. "Would you stop following me?" she complained, backing away from it. "I'm not your mother!" John snorted, covering a laugh, and she turned her glare on him. "Shut up, Johnny." He attempted to sober himself, eventually succeeding. The Wolf just huffed in annoyance and moved on.

They walked on for a bit, the horse faithfully plodding along behind them. After a while, the Wolf sighed. "Just an ordinary day, isn't it John? Become the imaginary friends of a future French aristocrat, pick a fight with a clockwork man, meet a horse," she trailed off. The animal whuffed back.

"Speaking of, how did the horse get on the spaceship?" John wondered.

"John, how did pre-revolutionary France get on a spaceship?" the Wolf asked exasperatedly. "Get a little perspective. Oh, look at that." She stopped to take a look through another time window, overlooking an extensive garden that they could clearly see Reinette touring through with a companion. A horse and rider trotted around nearby. "Guess this is where you came from, eh, horsey?" she murmured to the horse. She tapped the window experimentally, and it easily swung open. The Wolf stepped through, but stopped John with a hand to his chest when he tried to follow her.

"Why can't I come?" he complained.

The Wolf rolled her eyes. "Because we're not going to risk history anymore by letting Reinette see you again for as long as we can avoid it," she said firmly before letting the time window close behind her. John growled and spun around, but turned back when he heard the Wolf again.

He found her peeking back into the ship. "You. Do not move. Stay here with Arthur."

John gave her a quizzical look. "Arthur?"

"Good name for a horse."

"What happened to the horse 'Isn't coming'?" John asked.

Now it was the Wolf's turn to look confused. "When did I say that?"

"Like ten - " John shook his head. "You know what? Never mind. Just go. Do your thing."

The Wolf nodded. "You. Stay," she said again, pointing at the ground in a stay put motion.

John just rolled his eyes back at her. As soon as the Wolf had turned her back and set out once more, John continued down the hall they'd been walking down before. "Come on, Arthur," he called over his shoulder. "Might as well see what else we can find." The horse whinnied softly in reply to his voice. "Provided it's not more dissected humans," John muttered as he wandered off.

* * *

The Wolf watched Reinette wander around the gardens with her female friend. From what she could make out from the conversation, Reinette was still young – had yet to even meet the king, let alone had time to become his mistress. Suddenly a peacock called from behind the Wolf, causing Reinette to turn. The Wolf quickly hid behind a stone urn on the wall. When her friend called Reinette's attention again, the Wolf peeked around the stones and listened as Reinette and the other girl discussed the upcoming Yew Tree ball, where Reinette was to finally be introduced to the king.

Satisfied with her findings, the Wolf snuck back through the time window and onto the spaceship. Looking around, she groaned when John was nowhere to be seen. "Every time," she muttered. "It's rule one! Don't wander off. I tell him, I do," she complained. "Rule one. There could be anything on this ship, including a white horse all saddled and ready to go and killer clock men and – anything else." Sighing in frustration, the Wolf stalked off to find her errant companion before he got himself into trouble yet again.

* * *

"Maybe it wasn't a real heart," John tried to lie to himself as he wandered up and down random halls. "Of course it was a real heart," he scoffed. "How dumb do I think I am?" He passed by a window and stopped when he saw a gilded room through the glass. "France again," he murmured. "It's always France."

John watched through what he thought might be a mirror as a spiffily dressed man entered with what looked like two servants. "Well, look at him," John told Arthur. "Isn't he all important?"

"The King of France," the Wolf said over his shoulder, making John start.

"God, Wolf. Don't sneak up on a man like that. Like to give me a heart attack. How did it go, whatever you did?" he asked once he'd recovered.

"Fine. See these?" the Wolf answered, pointing at the window. "They're all over the place. I saw them on every deck. Gateways to history. But not just any old history." Reinette entered the room and curtseyed to the King. "Hers," the Wolf specified. "Time windows deliberately arranged along the life of one particular woman. A spaceship from the fifty-first century stalking a woman from the eighteenth that snogged you. Why?" she wondered.

John rolled his eyes. "I don't think the snogging bit was so important to mention," he protested. "But maybe they think she's special, somehow?"

"Undoubtedly. They scanned her brain for a reason."

John and the Wolf watched Reinette fuss with her clothes for a few minutes, looking nervous. "So she's got plans on being King Louis' mistress," he murmured.

"Oh, yes," the Wolf agreed. "I think this is the night they meet. The night of the Yew Tree ball. In no time flat, she'll get herself established as his official mistress, with her own rooms at the palace. Even her own title."

"Madame de Pompadour," John repeated. "The Queen must have loved her," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, she did," the Wolf corrected. "They get on very well."

John's eyebrows flicked up in surprise. "The King's wife and the King's girlfriend?"

The Wolf nodded. "France," she said rather nostalgically. "It's a different planet."

John looked back through the mirror just in time to see Reinette turn to face a woman standing in a corner with her back to the room. "How long have you been standing there?" Reinette demanded, her voice muffled by the glass. "Show yourself!" The figure slowly turned, revealing itself to be a female clockwork android, again in fancy dress.

The Wolf grabbed another fire extinguisher that was hung on the wall and entered the room through the rotating mirror. "Hello Reinette," she said cheerfully.

"Long time no see," John added as the Wolf sprayed the robot down with the icy substance.

"Fireplace man!" Reinette exclaimed, staring at John. "And woman," she tacked on as an afterthought.

"Glad I make such an impression," the Wolf muttered to herself inaudibly, making sure John couldn't hear her. She threw the extinguisher to John as the android began to creak.

"What's it doing?" John asked.

"Switching back on," the Wolf answered quickly. "Melting the ice."

"And then what?"

"Then it kills everyone in the room," she said blithely. "Focuses the mind, doesn't it? Who are you?" she asked the robot. It remained silent. "Identify yourself," she ordered. When it still refused to speak, the Wolf spoke over her shoulder to Reinette. "Order it to answer me."

Reinette shook her head. "Why should it listen to me?"

The Wolf shrugged. "I don't know. It did when you were a child. Let's see if you've still got it."

The young woman stared at the Wolf for a long moment before seeming to make a decision. "Answer her question. Answer any and all questions put to you," she commanded the clockwork woman.

"I am Repair Droid Seven," the robot replied, speaking for the first time.

"What happened to the ship, then?" the Wolf asked. "There was a lot of damage."

"Ion storm. Eighty-two percent systems failure," the droid answered.

"That ship hasn't been moved in over a year," she pointed out. "What's taking you so long?"

"We did not have the parts," it said vaguely.

John huffed out an annoyed breath. "Like any lazy mechanic. It always comes down to parts."

"What's happened to the crew? Where are they?" the Wolf went on.

"We did not have the parts," the droid merely repeated.

There should have been over fifty people on your ship," she said. "Where did they go?"

"We did not have the parts."

"Fifty people don't just disappear. Where – oh," the Wolf paused, realization dawning on her. "You didn't have the parts, so you used the crew."

"The crew?" John asked before he, too, figured it out. "The heart. And the eye." A feeling of dread made him sick to his stomach.

"It was doing what it was programmed to," the Wolf said. "Repairing the ship any way it could, with whatever it could find. No one told it the crew weren't on the menu."

"Someone cooking," John remembered. "Flesh plus heat. Barbeque." He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

The Wolf nodded before addressing the robot once more. "But what are you doing here?" she asked it. "You've opened up time widows. That takes colossal energy. Why come here? You could have gone to you repair yard. Instead, you come to eighteenth century France? Why?"

"One more part is required," it informed them.

"Then why haven't you taken it?" the Wolf inquired, confused.

"She is incomplete."

The Wolf shot a look at Reinette, who appeared frightened. "What, so, that's the plan, then. Just keep opening up more and more time windows, scanning her brain, checking to see if she's done yet."

"Why her?" John jumped in. "You've got all of history to choose from. Why specifically her?"

"We are the same," the droid answered.

Reinette, who had been silent throughout the conversation, broke in. "We are not the same. We are in no sense the same," she denied vehemently, her voice trembling.

"We are the same," it insisted.

"Get out of here," Reinette spat. "Get out of here this instant!"

"Reinette, no," the Wolf began, but it was too late. The droid teleported away in a flash. "It's back on the ship. John, take Arthur. Get after it," she instructed quickly. "Follow it. Don't approach it, just watch what it does."

John went to do as he was told, but stopped to say something. "You know the TARDIS will never let you bring a horse on board, right?" he asked, trying to keep a straight face.

The Wolf rolled her eyes and gave him a light shove. "She let me keep you," she teased. "Now go! Go! Go!" She closed the mirror door behind him, effectively cutting off his reply. John just chuckled and moved down the hall with a whistle to Arthur, who eagerly followed.

Grinning slightly, the Wolf turned back to face her bigger problem. Serious again, the Wolf cautiously approached Reinette, who still looked frightened. "Reinette, you're going to have to trust me," she said quietly. "I need to find out what they're looking for." The Wolf raised her hands and placed them near the girl's head, not quite touching. "There's only one way I can do that. It won't hurt a bit," she reassured the young woman.

Reinette hesitated, but eventually gave a small nod. The Wolf gently placed her fingers in the appropriate places, and tiptoed into Reinette's memory. The aristocrat gasped softly. "My imaginary friend, you are inside my mind," she said in wonder.

"Oh dear, Reinette," the Wolf said regretfully. "You've had some cowboys in here."

"You are in my memories. You walk among them."

"If there's anything you don't want me to see," the Wolf warned, "just imagine a door and close it. I won't look." The Wolf noticed that several doors immediately popped up, blocking sights of the King and – John, the Wolf realized a bit jealously, but she shoved the feeling aside, refusing to acknowledge its existence.

"To walk among the memories of another living soul. Do you ever get used to this?" Reinette inquired.

The Wolf grit her teeth. "I don't make a habit of it."

"How can you resist?" the younger woman asked, sounding sincere.

"I don't like the feeling of taking advantage. What age are you?" the Wolf asked suddenly.

Reinette gave a small laugh. "So impertinent a question so early in the acquaintance," she jested.

The Wolf shook her head. "Not my question. Theirs," she informed Reinette. "You're twenty-three and for some reason, that means you're not old enough." Reinette gasped. "Sorry," the Wolf apologized, "you might find old memories reawakening. Side effect."

"Such a lonely childhood," Reinette murmured.

"It'll pass," the Wolf reassured her quietly. "Stay with me."

"Wolf, so lonely. So very, very alone," the young woman said mournfully.

"What do you mean, alone?" the Wolf asked quizzically. "You've never been alone in your life. And since when did you start calling me Wolf?"

"Such a lost, lonely little girl," Reinette said, compassion filling her voice. "Lonely then, but now, a golden light shines through. He takes away some of that loneliness. You may be my guardian angel, but he is most certainly yours."

The Wolf immediately broke their mental link. "How did you do that?" she whispered, startled.

Reinette smiled softly. "A door, once opened, can be stepped through in either direction. The Wolf. The Bad Wolf. It's more than just a secret, isn't it?"

"What did you see?" the Wolf asked, eyes wide and frightened.

Reinette's smile turned sad. "That no matter how a wolf howls, a storm cannot be stopped."

Cold washed over the Wolf, chilling her to the bone. "I have to go," she said hurriedly, turning and sprinting for the ship.

* * *

John woke with a start, unable to move anything except his head. _What happened?_ Looking down, he realized that his hands, legs, and midsection were all strapped down to a metal table, and several droids were huddled in the room. They appeared to be inspecting him. They had also brought the TARDIS with them – it sat in the opposite corner. Arthur was nowhere to be seen. John frantically searched the room, looking for the Wolf.

_She's coming_.

_It would be helpful if she came sooner, rather than later,_ John told himself.

"You are compatible," a droid told him.

"Well that's just brilliant," he said sarcastically. "I'm so pleased that my body is perfectly suited for dissection, but you see, I rather think I had other plans for the day, other than being chopped up and stuck all over your stupid spaceship. You just wait until you meet my friend. She's gonna kick your sorry butts so hard you'll kiss the moons. Maybe not literally," he babbled on, "but hard enough. They don't call her the –"

A burst of singing interrupted him, and John watched, astounded, as the Wolf bounced in, holding a goblet containing a dark, purple liquid, with her jacket hanging off one shoulder and her a hair a disheveled mess.

"Well, if it isn't the big Bad Kitten," John drawled, staring at her in shock.

The Wolf rolled her eyes. "You're one to talk – Oncoming Drizzle," she shot back.

"Excuse me?" John asked, head cocked in confusion. _What does that even mean?_ "What've you been doing? Where have you been?"

"Well, among other things, I have been imbibing _highly_ fermented grape juice with large amounts of ethanol in it," the Wolf said cheerfully. "But do you know, I think I like banana daiquiris better. I doubt the French have never even seen a banana before, how weird is that?" she asked, still extraordinarily happy sounding. John couldn't think of anything to say, but it didn't matter, as the Wolf had already turned to the androids. "Oh ho, ho, ho, brilliant. It's you. You're my favorite, you are," she told the droid that they had first met in a young Reinette's bedroom. "You are the best! Do you know why?" she asked it. It remained silent. "Because you're so thick. You're Mister Thick Thick Thickity Thick Face from Thicktown, Thickania. And so's your dad," the Wolf added after a pause.

John just kept staring, wide eyed, at the Wolf's drunken shenanigans. She looked over at him. "Do you know what they were scanning Reinette's brain for?" she asked him. "Her milometer. They want to know how old she is. Know why? Because this ship is thirty-seven years old," the Wolf continued without waiting for him to answer, "and they think that when Reinette is thirty-seven, when she's _complete_, then her brain will be compatible. So, that's what your missing, isn't it, hmm?" she asked the group of robots. "Command circuit. Your computer. Your ship needs a brain. And for some reason, God knows what, only the brain of Madame de Pompadour will do."

"The brain is compatible," the droid that seemed to be the leader informed the Wolf.

"Compatible?" she scoffed. "If you believe that, you probably believe this is a glass of wine." The Wolf removed the android's mask and poured the contents of the goblet onto its head. All the clockwork immediately seized up. "Mulitgrain anti-oil," she said proudly. "If it moves, it doesn't." She turned to John. "Right, that's enough lying about, don't you think? Time we got the rest of the ship turned off."

"Are you drunk?" John asked incredulously. "Did you seriously get drunk while I was potentially in mortal peril?"

"Please," the Wolf groaned. "First, no, I am not drunk. It takes a lot more than some fifty-first century wine to get me intoxicated, and that wasn't even wine, as I thought I made clear. Second, you wouldn't have been in mortal peril if you just _listened_ to me and stayed put like I told you to."

It was John's turn to groan in annoyance. "As if you ever stop wandering," he told her, getting to his feet. "Are the robots safe now?" he asked.

"Yeah. Safe. Safe and thick, way I like them," the Wolf answered distractedly. "Okay. All the time windows are controlled from here. I need to close them all down. Zeus plugs. Where are my Zeus plugs?" she wondered, patting her clothes down. "I had them a minute ago. I was using them as hair decorations..."

"Forgetting those for the moment," John interrupted, "why didn't they just open a time window to when she was thirty-seven?"

"With the amount of damage to these circuits, they did well to hit the right century," the Wolf answered, still digging around. "Trial and error after that. The windows aren't closing," she muttered, flipping the switches back and forth when nothing happened. "Why won't they close?"

A bell rang, drawing their attention. "What's that?" John asked.

The Wolf took a look at a screen. "I don't know. Incoming message?"

"From who?"

"Report from the field," she realized. "One of them must still be out there with Reinette. That's why I can't close the windows. There's an override."

Another odd noise caused the pair to turn back around. The first droid whirred back into life, expelling the anti-oil from its system through its finger.

"Well, that was a bit clever," the Wolf sighed. Out of the corner of his eye, John saw the android lever switch on again. The Wolf saw it too. "Right. Many things about this are not good," she admitted. "Message from one of your little friends? Anything interesting?" she asked the lead robot.

"She is complete," it replied. "It begins." All the androids teleported out in a flash of light.

"What now?" John asked.

"One of them must have found the right time window," the Wolf said grimly. "Now it's time to send in the troops. And this time, they're bringing back her head."


	19. The Slow Path

The Slow Path

The Wolf quickly ushered John down a hall and stopped at a large mirror similar to the one they had been in front of before. "Okay, I need you to warn Reinette," she told him.

"What, you're going to trust me to be alone with the girl? Won't I wreck history?" John said a bit snappishly.

"Oh, hush," the Wolf flapped a hand at him. "We don't have a lot of time, so listen. In there, near as I can make out, she's thirty-two. That means the robots will be there in five years to take her. I don't have time to find a time window nearer. Tell Reinette that she has to keep them talking until we get there. They'll respond to her, so she can slow them down," she instructed.

"Where will you be?" John asked nervously.

"Searching for the right time window. Now hurry. I'll need your help as well." Without another word, the Wolf ran off, leaving John alone.

John stared after her for a moment before he took a deep breath, fortifying himself. "Here goes nothing," he muttered, and walked through the mirror. A drape blocked his path, and when he pushed past it, Reinette started at his sudden appearance. "Madame de Pompadour," he greeted cautiously, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. "Please, don't scream – and don't kiss me again. We don't have a lot of time. I've come to warn you that they'll be here in five years."

"Five years?" Reinette inquired, confused, but making no move to jump him, to John's relief.

"Some time after your thirty-seventh birthday. I – I can't give you an exact date. It's a bit random. But they're coming. It's going to happen. In a way, for us, it's already happening. I'm sorry," John apologized. "It's hard to explain. The Wolf does this part better."

"Then be exact, and I will be attentive," Reinette said patiently.

"There isn't time," John denied.

"There are five years," she pointed out.

John shook his head. "For you. I haven't got five minutes."

"Then also be concise," Reinette amended.

"Erm, there's a kind of ship, a sort of sky ship, and it's full of – well – you. Different bits of your life in different rooms, all jumbled up," John tried to explain, stumbling along. "I told you it was complicated. Sorry."

"There is a vessel in your world where the days of my life are pressed together like the chapters of a book, so that you and she may step from one to the other without increase of age while I, weary traveler, must always take the slower path," Reinette described accurately.

John stared at her, surprised by her astute declaration. "She was right about you," he murmured.

"So, in five years this creature will return. What can be done?" she wanted to know.

"The Wolf said to keep them talking. They're kind of programmed to respond to you now. You won't be able to stop them, but you might be able to delay them a bit," John informed her.

"Why do this?" Reinette asked suddenly.

John paused. "What?"

"This. Saving me," she elaborated. "Why do any of it?"

"It's what she does," John said, shrugging.

"And you?"

He hesitated. "I – I'm there."

Reinette nodded, seeming to have come to an understanding inside herself. "That explains it, then. You belong to her, and she to you," she asserted.

John was quiet for a long moment, biting his lip, uncertain where he had lost track of the conversation. "She'll be there when you need her," he finally said. "She promises."

Reinette sighed. "It is the way it's always been. The monsters and the Wolf. It seems you cannot have one without the other."

John huffed a laugh. "Tell me about it," he agreed. "The thing is, though, you weren't supposed to have either. Those creatures are messing with history. None of this was ever supposed to happen to you."

"Supposed to happen? What does that mean?" Reinette questioned. "It happened, and that is all there is to it. This is all I know. You tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel. And if I must, so shall I."

"Will you be okay?" John asked kindly.

Reinette took a deep breath. "No. I'm very afraid. But you know, don't you John? The Wolf is worth the monsters to you. So I will put my trust in both of you as I walk the slower path. I will await your return."

"We'll be there," John promised as he went back through the tapestry and onto the ship. He was greeted by screams filling the air.

"John! John, I found it! You have to get over here, now!" the Wolf's voice sounded above the screams.

"What's that noise?" John yelled over the voices.

"I fixed an audio link. That's how you can hear me. I'm two decks up, down area sixteen. Hurry up!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" John dashed down the corresponding corridors, reaching the Wolf within minutes. "You found it then?" he asked as he got to her side, out of breath.

"They knew I was coming," the Wolf replied grimly. "They blocked it off."

John looked up at the time window that showed an overhead view of a ballroom. People were gathered in one large group with androids surrounding them. Many women were screaming, with the men yelling at the robots angrily. John could see at least one woman on the ground, fainted dead away. However, he couldn't see Reinette anywhere.

"I don't get it," he finally said. "How come they got in there? Reinette's nowhere to be seen. And how come they could and not you?"

"They teleported. You saw them," was the Wolf's short reply. "As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short range teleports will do the trick."

"Dumb question then, but why can't we just go in the TARDIS?" he asked.

The Wolf shook her head. "Can't use the TARDIS. We're part of events now."

"Right, of course. Obvious, really," John nodded. "Alright then, can't we just smash through?"

"Hyperplex this side, plate glass the other. We need a truck," the Wolf explained.

"We don't have a truck," John stated the obvious.

"I _know_ we don't have a truck!" the Wolf yelled. "Don't you think I _noticed_ that?!"

John was taken aback by the Wolf's explosion. Fully looking at her, he noticed that she was practically vibrating from having to be still. People were about to die, and as far as he could see, there was nothing she could do but watch it happen. It was driving her spare. "Okay, then," he said gently, "we'll try something else."

The Wolf scoffed. "No. Smash the glass, smash the time window," she explained jerkily. "There'd be no way back."

"Could everyone just calm down please?" Reinette had arrived, several more droids in tow.

John watched as Reinette admonished the crowd into silence, impressed with her regal manner. "That's it," the Wolf's whisper distracted him away from the scene in the ballroom. He turned to see her eying Arthur, who had reappeared from God knew where after disappearing when John had been captured.

"What's it?" he asked warily. The Wolf ignored him, going over to the horse and grabbing his saddle, preparing to mount up. John snatched her arm, pulling her away from the animal. "Are you insane, Wolf?" he protested. "You can't! You won't be able to come back, you said so yourself." There was no way she was stranding herself in the past without a way back to him.

The Wolf sighed. "John, if Reinette dies in that ballroom, somehow, all of time will unravel," she explained in a quiet tone. "She is pivotal to history. I _have_ to go through."

John thought it over for a moment before nodding decisively. "Then I'm coming with you," he told her.

The Wolf's eyes widened. "No, you're not," she denied vehemently. "I am _not_ stranding you in seventeenth century France," she said, unknowingly parroting his thoughts. "I won't do that to you."

"So you're trapping me in fifty-first century space instead?" John countered. "How is that better? At least there, we'll be together."

The Wolf took his hand, holding it tightly. "John, go back to the TARDIS," she said firmly. "Wait for me in there. All the droids are in France right now. You should be safe." John tried to protest again, but she cut him off. "John. I _swear_ I will do everything in my power to get back to you as soon as I can," she promised.

John stared at her for a long moment before swallowing hard and giving her a quick kiss to the forehead. "You'd better," was his simple reply. "Good luck." He backed away as the Wolf mounted Arthur.

Just before she urged Arthur through, she looked down at him and gave him a quick wink. "You won't even have time to miss me," she said with a small, but real, grin. Without waiting for a reply, she kicked Arthur in the ribs, pointing him straight through the time window. As soon as they had disappeared, the wall bricked up, as if the window had never been there.

Taking deep breaths to try and control small bursts of panic that were attempting to break through, John turned and ran as fast as he could back to the TARDIS.

* * *

The Wolf took a second to enjoy everyone's shocked looks as she rode a horse through a mirror before she dismounted. "Madame de Pompadour," she greeted, "you look younger every day." Reinette smiled brightly at her timely entrance.

"What the hell is going on?" the King asked exasperatedly.

Reinette sobered momentarily, but then a teasing glint formed in her eye. "Oh. Wolf, this is my lover, the King of France."

The Wolf eyed the man up and down with a smug smirk on her face. "Yeah? Well I'm the Lady of Time, and I'm here to fix the clock." She walked over and removed the mask from the ever present robotic man that had been stalking Reinette her whole life. "Forget it. It's over," she told him. "For you and for me. Talk about seven years bad luck. Try three thousand." She indicated the mirror, which was now walled over. "The link with the ship is broken. No way back. You don't have the parts. How many ticks left in that clockwork heart, huh?" she asked them. "A day? An hour? It's over. Accept that. I'm not winding you up."

The androids were all still for a moment before they simultaneously wound down, bending in half. One even fell backwards and broke into pieces.

The Wolf turned to Reinette, who was picking herself up off the floor. "You alright?" she asked, concerned.

Reinette nodded. "What's happened to them?"

"They've stopped," the Wolf answered with a shrug. "They have no purpose now."

* * *

John paced around the console room, stewing, trying to think of any alternatives to what he could have done. How he could have gone with the Wolf. Time had been of the essence, so he had caved to her reasoning, but now, all he could think of was how he should have been there with her. Sure, he had the TARDIS, but – "Lot of good that does me, huh?" he asked the air. "Not like I can fly you there anymore. I should have just gotten on that damn horse with her. How is she going to get back? All the windows are blocked up now, I saw them coming here." He growled, continuing his pacing.

_All will be well_.

"I don't know that, now do I?" John yelled at himself, angry at the positive thought that had come out of nowhere. The TARDIS hummed in what seemed like a reassuring manner, not for the first time. "We don't know that, do we, TARDIS?" he asked the ship.

The TARDIS gave a frustrated and impatient sounding chime before practically squawking, startling John so much he stumbled over the grating and fell to the floor. "What was _that_ for?" he complained. The ship merely gave another angry chime, as though she was scolding him. "Well if you're going to be like that, I'm just going to go wait outside," John muttered darkly, doing just that.

* * *

The Wolf stared up at the night sky, wishing she was both light years and thousands of years away. She hadn't lied to John – she would have tried as hard as she could to get back to him, but there was no way. She'd known that going in. But if she was gone long enough, Emergency Program One would restart and take him home. She'd modified the program after her regeneration, in case she was ever too far away to take care of John. He would be fine. Furious, most definitely, but fine.

"You know all their names, don't you?" Reinette's voice broke through the Wolf's dark thoughts. "I saw that in your mind. The name of every star."

The Wolf sighed. "What's in a name?" she asked rhetorically. "Names are just titles. Titles don't tell you anything."

"Like the Bad Wolf," Reinette said with a smile.

The Wolf couldn't help smiling a bit back despite the hopelessness of the situation, deprecating though it was. "Like Madame de Pompadour," she agreed.

"You have seen those stars from a much closer distance than I ever will, I think," Reinette observed.

"From time to time."

Reinette changed the subject. "In saving me, you trapped yourself, separated yourself from John. Did you know that would happen?"

The Wolf shrugged. "Mmm. Pretty much."

"Yet, still you came."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I? Catch me doing that again," the Wolf teased slightly.

"There were many doors between my world and yours," Reinette pointed out. "Could you not use one of the others?"

The Wolf shook her head. "When the mirror broke, the shock would have severed all the links with my ship. There'll be a few more broken mirrors and torn tapestries around here, I'm afraid," she apologized. "Wherever there was a time window. I'll – I'll pay for any damage," she offered before pausing. "Erm, there's a thought. I'm going to need money. I was always a bit vague on money," she said sheepishly. "Where do you get money?"

Reinette let out a small laugh at the Wolf's babbling. "Despite the fact that I think we could have become good friends, my guardian angel," she began kindly, "there is – I believe – another angel who will be anxiously awaiting your return."

"My ship will take him home," the Wolf said. "We'll all just have to adjust to taking the slow path."

"I will always be on the slow path," Reinette agreed. "But you, on the other hand, must return to the quick route. To John."

The Wolf contemplated the younger woman, wondering what she had up her sleeve. "How do you propose I do that?" she asked, eying the growing smile on Reinette's face.

Reinette just took the Wolf's hand and tugged, gently urging her to follow. She led the Wolf through a maze of hallways until they finally reached a large and spacious bedchamber. The Wolf's eyes widened when she saw the fireplace set in the wall, mantle and all, and immediately went over to inspect it with her sonic screwdriver. "It's not a copy, it's the original," Reinette informed her as she examined it. "I had it moved here and was exact in every detail."

"The fireplace," the Wolf murmured in awe. "The fireplace from your bedroom. When did you do this?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Many years ago, in the hope that a door once opened, may someday open again. One never quite knows when one will need their fireplace examined," Reinette said with a small smile. "It appears undamaged. Do you think it will still work?" she asked hopefully.

The Wolf tapped around the edges, searching for answers. "You broke the bond with the ship when you moved it, which means it was offline when the mirror broke. That's what saved it. But the link is basically physical," she thought out loud, "and it's still physically here. Which might just mean, if I'm lucky – if I'm very, very, very, very, very, very, lucky...Ah ha!" she shouted triumphantly.

"What?" Reinette asked eagerly.

The Wolf grinned. "Loose connection." She used her sonic screwdriver to reactivate the portal. "Need to get a man in," she teased. She thumped the mantle, and one last loose part clunked into place. "Wish me luck."

Reinette gave a sad smile, going over to give her a brief hug. "I will miss you my angel – my friend," she said in farewell, backing away. The Wolf stepped onto the platform, but Reinette spoke up one more time. "Bad Wolf."

She turned back. "What?"

"Remember, please. A storm cannot be stopped, but it can be weathered. Please, remember," Reinette begged.

"I will," the Wolf promised soberly before flipping the switch that would take her away. Reinette kept eye contact as the fireplace turned, returning the Wolf to the fifty-first century.

"Wolf!" A yell came from behind her. She barely had time to turn around before she was snatched into a tight hug, her feet hanging off the ground. "Don't you _ever_ do that again," John muttered into her shoulder, his arms not loosening their hold on her.

The Wolf held onto him just as tightly, relieved to be back. "How long did you wait?" she finally asked when John's arms relaxed a fraction, allowing her to look him in the face, although he didn't put her down.

"Five and a half hours," he replied.

"Great," the Wolf said cheerfully, giving him the tongue-in-teeth smile that he loved. "Always wait five and a half hours."

"Where have you been? How did it go? Did you save Reinette? What now?" John asked quickly as he set her down, all the questions and worries that had been building up over the last few hours coming out all at once.

The Wolf chuckled at his tumbling words. "Reinette, his Majesty, and all other nobles are safe and accounted for," she told him. "Reinette got me back, clever girl that she is."

"The fireplace still worked?" John asked, amazed. "How?"

The Wolf shrugged, her mind still on Reinette's parting words. "Loose connection. She had it moved to her rooms in the palace. Really clever girl, she is," she said again. It bore repeating. "Anyway, good byes are said, time we shove off, eh?"

"Are you alright, Wolf?" he asked. "Everything's okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't they be?" she wondered.

John shook his head. "I don't know, you just seem – a little off. Worried, maybe."

"Just – glad to back," the Wolf told him with a smile.

Reassured, John grinned back. "You might want to go in first," he said warily. "I think she's mad at me."

The Wolf's eyes widened. "What did you do?" she asked reprovingly.

John held up his hands, placating. "Nothing! I didn't even kick her after this time of you leaving me behind." The Wolf winced at the reminder. "I swear, all I was doing was pacing, and she – she _squawked_ at me. Like a chicken!"

The Wolf tried to keep a straight face, she did, but at John's words and incredulous expression, she burst into laughter. Uncontrollably.

"What does that mean?" John asked, sounding a little desperate. "Did I do something?"

The Wolf tried to pull herself together and failed miserably. "I have no idea," she told him between fits of laughter. "No clue. I can't imagine her making that noise. What did he do, love?" she asked, still chuckling.

The TARDIS merely hummed in reply, sounding happy and smug.

* * *

**A/N: I'm wondering if people are catching on to something I'm hinting at. I know one person has - Angela - but since I don't have people yelling at me about it, I'm wondering if the rest of you are and just not saying anything. I feel like I was pretty obvious about it the last couple of chapters.**


	20. Interlude: Lost Ones

**A/N: Okay, guys, you know the drill. I have a busy life, and have only just started the next episode. It will be a combination of Rise of the Cybermen and Age of Steel, so it will probably be five chapters and then the next interlude, so it'll be a longer wait as I write those extra chapters. So don't be surprised when I disappear for a while. Keep being awesome!**

* * *

Interlude: Lost Ones

John woke to the hum of the TARDIS, quietly alerting him that something was up with her slightly anxious sounding chime. "What's going on?" he asked the ceiling.

"I'll tell you what's going on," the Wolf's voice came from the other side of his closed bedroom door. "Just, are you decent?"

John checked just to make sure nothing strange had happened in the night. "Yeah," he confirmed. With no further urging, the Wolf sauntered into his room. "And when am I not?" he asked.

The Wolf shrugged. "You tend to forget bits and pieces when you're tired and distracted," she reminded him. "Shoes, shirt a few times, thankfully, so far, you've always had pants on." John reddened.

"You said something was up?" he hastily changed the topic.

The Wolf nodded. "Yup. We're going somewhere fun! Safe! No haemovores, no werewolves, no clockwork men, just good old-fashioned human colonists," she announced with satisfaction.

"You _do_ know that, statistically speaking, humans are the most dangerous creatures on planet Earth, right?" John asked.

"Oh, that's before you got all educated about the universe. You're much better in the future." The Wolf paused. "Well, I say much. I mean more – sort of. Some. A few?"

John pushed her playfully, chuckling. "I get it. We're all a bunch of narcissistic apes that can't be trusted with our own shadows. You don't have to rub it in."

"I _did_ say some," the Wolf protested, grinning.

"Yeah, yeah. But if you want to go to – where are we going?" he asked.

"Surprise," she said, still grinning.

John rolled his eyes. "Okay. If you want to go wherever we're going at any point today, you do have to get out of my room so I can lose said bits of clothing and put different ones on."

The Wolf leapt out of the bed. "Well, hurry up. I want to be able to at least look around the market before it closes for the day."

"Ha!" John said triumphantly. "Marketplace, huh?"

"Get dressed!" was the Wolf's only answer as she shut the door behind her.

* * *

The Wolf opened the TARDIS doors with a flourish. "John, welcome to the Sharengan Market on the planet Sharenova. Human colononized, forty-second century." John didn't answer as he was peering around the corners of the TARDIS, on the lookout. "Johnny, what are you doing?" she asked, watching his strange behavior.

"I'm looking for any aliens with guns pointed at our heads," John replied, still inspecting the surrounding area. "Based on experience, it seems highly likely."

The Wolf grabbed his hand and jerked him out of the ship. "Come on, Johnny boy," she complained. "Would I really take you somewhere that dangerous?"

John crossed his arms and stared at her, coming to a dead stop. She huffed and turned around to face him. "Shall I answer that or should I just glare?" he drawled.

The Wolf sighed exasperatedly. "Fine, you got me there. But I promise, this place is perfectly alright, look." She waved her hand at the sprawling market, which took up much of the clearing the TARDIS had landed in. People were milling about –human descendants and aliens alike –haggling over prices, exchanging coins or goods, or generally having a good time.

John bit his lip, but admitted defeat. "Alright. It looks normal, I'll give you that," he told her.

The Wolf grinned. "Told ya. Now come on! I want to get some parts for the TARDIS." She took his hand again and pulled him after her, and this time, John went willingly.

* * *

The Wolf dragged John to stall after stall, geeking out about the strangest bits of metal. John nearly had to break up an argument between her and a blue-skinned stall owner who tried to sell her a fake gyrosautner - whatever that was - but overall, the day had been fairly quiet and enjoyable. Ever since the Wolf's regeneration, she seemed more drawn to danger, and after several high adrenaline, high stakes adventures recently, John was glad for the day off.

John was just thinking about convincing the Wolf to leave the part stalls alone for a bit to find some food when he realized the Wolf was no longer next to him. Turning in a circle, he finally spotted her twenty feet away, crouched next to a human looking toddler. Curious, John approached slowly, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

The boy appeared to be about four, assuming he was human, and he was crying, which John hadn't been able to see from a distance. The Wolf seemed to be speaking quietly to him, and whatever she said made the kid suddenly latch onto her, throwing his arms around her neck as he kept crying.

John crept closer as the Wolf lifted the boy, setting him on her hip as she made shushing noises. "So much for a calm day, Wolf," he teased quietly, not wanting to startle either of them. "Can't stand watching children cry, can you?"

"Oh, shut up," she grumbled, but with little heat behind it. "Besides, it's not like this is a world crisis. We just have to find his mum. What's your name, sweetheart?" she asked the kid gently.

"S-S-St-Stephanel," he blubbered through his tears. "Stepanel Y-Yorkin."

The Wolf rubbed his back, comforting him. "Okay, Stephanel," she said smoothly. "We'll find your mum in no time. I promise."

"And she always keeps her promises, mate," John jumped in.

"That's right," the Wolf agreed, nodding. "So there's really no reason to cry, is there?" Stephanel shook his head, taking a deep breath to try and stop his tears. "Good," she praised him. "John here and I will get you home in no time, but before that, we're going to have to play a little game. Do you think you can do that?" The boy nodded mutely, tears still shining in his eyes but no longer falling. "Great! So, Stephanel, where do you live?"

His face immediately crumpled. "I don't – I don't – I don't 'member!" he wailed, beginning to cry again.

"Okay, okay, that's not a big deal," the Wolf soothed, bouncing him on her hip until he calmed once more. "Let's try an easier question first. What's your favorite color?"

"Bwue," Stephanel replied, sniffing.

The Wolf grinned. "Mine too! Excellent answer," she said excitedly. "Okay, how about...do you have a pet?"

"A Wookin. He called Albert."

"_Lovely_ name, Albert. Met a prince called Albert, once. Genius, he was. How about this: do you know how to read?"

Stephanel looked affronted at the question. "'Course," he scoffed. "On'y babies can't wead."

"Too right. Isn't he right, John?" the Wolf asked.

"Absolutely," John agreed.

"Okay, Stephan – can I call you Stephan?" The boy nodded. "Stephan, what does that sign over there say?"

Stephanel squinted to read the street sign. "Ole – Ole – gindy Stweet," he sounded out.

"So it does," the Wolf said in a overly surprised tone. Stephan looked pleased at his success. "So what's the street called where you live?" she asked casually.

"Tannekinty Stweet," Stephan replied promptly.

The Wolf smiled. "Excellent, Stephan," she praised softly. "You did amazing. Here, take a piece." She dug in her bottomless pockets and pulled out a bag, holding it to the boy. "It's a sweet. You'll like it," she promised. When he was sufficiently occupied, she turned to John. "Go ask one of the stall holders where Tannekinty Street is," she instructed quietly. "Time this little one went home."

* * *

John and the Wolf watched as Stephanel was reunited with his weeping mother, who lifted him up and held onto him tight. Stephan was squeezing just as hard. The pair turned to go, but her voice stopped them. "Wait!" she called, walking as quickly as she could toward them without jostling her son. "Thank you so much," she said fervently. "He's such a curious little boy – I turn my back for a second, and he's out the door and on the street."

The Wolf smiled. "I know someone a bit like that," she replied, shooting John a grin as he mock glared at her.

"How can I repay you for finding my boy?" the woman asked.

The Wolf held up her hands, shaking her head. "We just helped a little boy find his way home. No thanks necessary."

"You do not want gratitude?" the mother inquired, confused.

"Call it my good deed of the day. Just do something kind for someone else," the Wolf suggested. "Pass it on."

The mother nodded thoughtfully. "Even if you do not accept it, you have my everlasting thanks," she told them, before backing away to go inside, still carrying Stephan.

"You're just a big softie, aren't you, Wolf?" John whispered in her ear.

"If you tell anyone..." the Wolf tried to growl threateningly, but it had no impact on John whatsoever apart from making him grin mischievously.

Stephan waved over his mother's shoulder. "Bye, Woof! Bye John!" he yelled.

The two waved back before heading back to the market. John took her hand, letting their joined limbs sway between them as they walked. The Wolf was quiet on the return journey, seeming contemplative. "You were really good with that kid, Wolf," John finally broke the silence ten minutes later.

"You'll find that children all over and from many different cultures are really always quite similar," the Wolf replied absently. "In all my journeys, I've found that an upset child can be expediently and efficiently calmed by mere distraction, rather than by scolding or cajoling. Stephan didn't even realize that I was asking him for information he had forgotten five minutes before because he was so focused on the 'game' we were playing."

John considered that for a moment. "You must have a lot of experience with children," he pointed out.

"I did. Once."

The Wolf's face had closed off slightly, but John pushed once more. "Have you ever been a mother?" he asked.

"Like I said: once." John opened his mouth to ask another question, but the Wolf cut him off. "Back to the TARDIS, shall we? I think I have everything I need here."

Recognizing her need, John dropped the subject. "Alright, sounds good." The Wolf relaxed after a few minutes, gripping his hand tightly in thanks, and by the time they returned to the ship, she was laughing and joking like always.

Before they went back into the ship, John stopped to look around at the market once more. The Wolf joined him, her eyes content and her body completely still for once. "Thank you for today, Wolf," John said quietly. "Sometimes, with all the running, it's easy to forget."

"Forget what?" the Wolf asked.

"Why you do all this. You didn't start traveling to save worlds and universes, although I'm sure you consider that a great bonus. You flew the TARDIS away from your world to see new planets, meet new people. To explore. I forget that, when we're in the middle of an adventure. It's just – nice to be reminded," John explained, shrugging.

The Wolf slipped an arm around his waist, and he lifted his to put around her shoulders. "I needed it too," she admitted. "But you're enough of a reminder, John," she continued, gazing up at him with a serious look in her eyes. "As old as I am, I've seen a lot of this universe. After a while, it loses that – shininess that I see in your eyes whenever I take you somewhere new. I can't see it anymore. But you. You see it. And when you see it, I see it."

John grinned. "Then I guess you're just going to have to keep taking me places," he teased.

"I would want nothing more," she replied soberly.


	21. Not Your World

**A/N: The response to the last interlude was awesome! You guys seemed to like them having a day off. And for those who didn't see, I posted a one-shot that is an alternate version of Reinette and the Wolf's last conversation. I had notes on what I was going to do, then completely forgot to use them. My helper/encourager, Angela, told me I should type it up anyway, so I did, so you get a little extra bonus. The rest of the episode is the same, just that conversation came out differently. It's titled Alternate: Live Your Life, and can be found on my profile.**

* * *

Not Your World

John and the Wolf were sitting on the captain's bench, deep in discussion of where they should go on their next adventure. Or, the Wolf was monologue-ing about various planets and their assets while John just sat there, playing with her fingers and trying to keep up with her babbling. He wasn't really paying attention, though. He was more interested in listening to the excitement in the Wolf's voice as she talked about some of her favorite places to visit.

John was well aware that his feelings for the Wolf weren't strictly platonic any longer, and hadn't been for a while, but he tried to ignore that fact as much as possible. She was his best friend, and she didn't need a – significant other, or whatever someone in a relationship with a Time Lord would be called. Plus, she was at least – probably more – nine hundred years old. The Wold needed someone to talk to, to show off to, and to pull her back from the darkness she tried so hard to stay away from. John had no interest in losing his current relationship with her by making her uncomfortable with any doey-eyed feelings he might be having.

That said, he certainly didn't mind taking advantage of moments like this, where he could just be near her without making a fuss or being obvious about it. She was too distracted to notice what he was doing anyway.

The Wolf's excited voice drew his attention back to her. "Oh! Talaxia Prime, we should go there! Brilliant water festival once every ten years. You should see the things they can do with a sponge," she was saying.

"That's not anything like Talaxun Four, is it?" John asked uncertainly, focusing on the conversation once more.

"Talaxun Four is a marvelous place if you just mind your manners," she informed him haughtily.

"I sneezed!" John protested.

"On that weird munchkin lady with the big eyes? You remember?" the Wolf prompted. "The way she looked at you! And then she opens her mouth and fire comes out!"

"I thought I was going to get burnt to a crisp," John complained, pouting.

"One minute she's standing there, then you walk past her with the loudest sneeze I have ever heard, and the next minute: roar!" the Wolf chuckled. "But you have to admit, the rest of the trip was pretty good, though. Right?"

"Yes," John acknowledged reluctantly. "After you put out my shoes, the rest of the trip was fun. She almost burnt my jacket though –"

"My jacket," the Wolf interrupted to correct him.

John rolled his eyes. "Like it'd fit you," he told her.

The Wolf shrugged. "Who knows? Next time, I could regenerate into a man and it might fit me perfectly."

"You can do that?" he asked, wide eyed.

"Sure. One of my friends did it once. The Corsair. You would've liked him. Her," she hesitated. "It gets confusing when the different pronouns come in. But anyway, I like being a girl. More people simultaneously underestimate and are frightened of you."

John grinned. "That sounds like you."

The Wolf smiled back, her tongue just peeking out, before suddenly leaping off the chair. "But moving on! I just figured out where we should go. You're gonna love this one, John. It's –" She was interrupted when the TARDIS suddenly – squealed, almost – and jerked violently, knocking the Wolf off her feet.

John lunged off the bench and caught her just before she hit the ground, caging her body between his arms as the TARDIS shuddered and shook, rattling them both.

"The time vortex is gone!" the Wolf yelled over the sounds of the ship. "It's just gone! That can't be possible!" The time rotor blew, rocking them even more, and she tried to get off the floor, but John held her down, shielding her from anything that might fall over. "She's going to crash if I don't do something!" the Wolf protested, struggling, but not hard enough to push John away. The rattling of the TARDIS kept her just unbalanced enough so she was unable to get out from under him.

"She's already crashing," John told her, not knowing how he knew that, but he did.

After a few more seconds, the ship came to an abrupt standstill and went ominously silent. The Wolf shoved John off of her, leaping to her feet to run to the console as the lights went dark. She checked the monitors, flipped switches, pressed down buttons, but the ship didn't respond. "She's dead," the Wolf finally whispered. "The TARDIS is dead."

John got to his feet, rubbing his head where something must have hit him without him noticing. "Can you fix it?" he asked.

"There's nothing to fix. She's perished," the Wolf replied in a monotone, leaning against the console and away from him. The last TARDIS in the universe, extinct."

"But shouldn't we at least see where we are?"

"What's the point? We fell out of the vortex, through the void, into nothingness." John walked over to the doors while the Wolf kept rambling. "We're in some sort of no place. The silent realm. The lost dimension."

John opened the door, shook his head at the Wolf's dramatics, and smiled. "Otherwise known as London," he called over his shoulder.

The Wolf's brows furrowed in consternation as she joined him in the doorway. "What?"

John gestured out at Lambeth Pier, where people were bustling, going about their daily business. "London, England, Earth," he pointed out. "Hold on." He jogged over to grab a discarded newspaper lying on an abandoned bench. Going back, he flipped it around to show her the date. "First of February, 2006. Not exactly far flung, is it?"

"So this is London," she observed, gazing around at all the landmarks.

"Yep," John replied easily.

"Your city."

"That's the one."

"Just as we left it?" the Wolf continued with a glance at the top of a skyscraper.

John looked up as well, his jaw dropping at the awesome sight above him. "Oh," he muttered, confused. "With Zeppelins? What the hell?"

"This is not your world," the Wolf said grimly.

"Well, it's _a_ world. And it sure looks like Earth," he pointed out. "So, what is it, then? Parallel? Oh, it's parallel, isn't it?" he asked excitedly. "Just like in the movies."

"Must be," the Wolf said. "Not to be confused with alternate universes, though. Those branch off from your world due to specific choices being made."

"Those are where practically everything's the same, but certain things are just the tiniest bit different, and that changes the world, right?"

"Exactly," the Wolf nodded. "They bump right alongside the universe they bubbled off of. But parallel universes, they never touch. Are _never_ supposed to touch. Time Lords used to be able to travel between them, but not anymore. In a parallel universe, you could meet your twin, who could be very similar but just the slightest bit different from you," she rambled, "Or maybe in this universe, you were never born at all. Theoretically, it's a world –"

"Where he's still alive," John interrupted, staring at an advertisement picturing a well-dressed man.

"Trust me," the man was saying, grinning at the camera. "Whether it's your personal, your professional, or your technological needs, Thomas Smythe has got your back." Thomas disappeared and was replaced by a banner, announcing that the Presidential election would be taking place a week from that day, finishing off with a 'Vote Smythe' in large print before replaying.

"A parallel world and my dad's still alive," John murmured. "President in Britain, that's weird, but still. He's real. And he's alive."

The Wolf stepped between John and the advertisement, tipping his head so he was looking into her eyes. "John, listen to me," she said quietly. "This is not your world, and he is not your father. He's merely a person that looks like him."

John tore his eyes away from her to stare at the advert once more. "He was just a low level politician before he died," he said, almost to himself. "We were all happy, but here, he's running for the largest office in the country. He always wanted to change the world, and here he's doing it."

"John, if you've ever trusted me, listen to me now. Look at me," she ordered, and John obeyed reluctantly. "Your parents are dead. They died when you were sixteen years old. That is not your Thomas. That is a Thomas, who might possibly still be married to your mother –"

"Emma," John supplied in a whisper, realizing he'd never told the Wolf his parents' names.

"With his own Emma," the Wolf continued. "Maybe even his own John, who is someone else, but not you. You can't see him John. You can't."

John was still for a long moment before heaving a deep sigh and nodding. "I know," he said reluctantly. "I understand, Wolf. No wandering off this time, I promise," he swore.

The Wolf breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "Okay. Okay. I'm just gonna go check the TARDIS. See if there's anything I can do to fix her. You can join me, or stay out here if you like." She disappeared back into the ship, giving John space if he needed it. He knew where to find her.

John sunk onto a nearby bench, rubbing his head absentmindedly as his headache built. He looked up, watching the Zeppelins float past him as the sound of their propellers filtered down to him. They were everywhere. The superphone in his jacket beeped, calling John's attention. He snagged it and pulled it out.

'Welcome! Free Trial Period' it read, immediately taking John to the news. He watched as the program discussed a certain John Lumic, who appeared to be some kind of inventor, and began a new story about some institute called Torchwood publishing some study before the rest of it was drowned out by a Zeppelin passing directly over his head. He did a quick Internet search.

Frowning, John got up several minutes later and went to go back to the TARDIS before the Wolf came out looking for him. As he walked through the doors, he heard her growling and looked up just in time to see her kick the console in a move reminiscent of when he'd been stuck back on Earth before returning to the Game Station. The sight made him chuckle, prompting the first smile from him since he'd seen his not-father. "Did that help?" he asked.

"Yes," the Wolf muttered in a frustrated tone.

"Did that hurt?"

"Yes." The Wolf groaned and sat down on the chair, holding her foot. "Ow."

Still smiling a bit, John went over and sat down next to her, pulling her hand away from her foot so he could hold it. After a moment, the Wolf squeezed it reassuringly. They were silent for a few minutes before the Wolf spoke again. "We're not meant to be here. The TARDIS draws its power from the universe, but this is the wrong universe. It's like putting diesel into a petrol engine."

"But, you said Time Lords used to do it all the time. You made it sound like it was easy."

"It _used_ to be easy," the Wolf corrected. "When the Time Lords kept their eye on everything, you could hop between realities and be home in time for tea. Then they died, and took it all with them. The walls of reality closed, the worlds were sealed. My people may have been stiff, calm, and corrupt to their core, but they kept an eye on things, kept them running. Now, everything's just that much harder."

"Then how did we get here?" John asked.

The Wolf sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "Accident? Should've been impossible. And now we're trapped, and she's gone." She leaned into John, and he put his arm around her shoulders as they sat quietly for a few moments.

John was just going to rub at his head again when the ache lessened, and the Wolf sat up straight at the same time. "What's that?" she wondered, looking at the grating below their feet.

"What?" John asked.

"That, there," she pointed. "Is that a reflection?" She pulled up a section of the grate and hopped down below the console. John stuck his head over the hole, watching her. "Is that a light? I think that's a light," she said excitedly as she grabbed a small, glowing green orb. "That's all we need! We've got power! John, we've got power!" the Wolf exclaimed with a grin. John helped her back up to his level as she carefully held onto the glowing object with one hand. "She's alive," she whispered reverently.

"What is it?" he asked, staring at it curiously.

"It's nothing. It's tiny," the Wolf dismissed. "One of those insignificant little power cells that no one ever bothers about, and it's clinging onto life, with one little ounce of reality, tucked away inside."

"Enough to get us home?"

"Not yet. I need to charge it up."

John shrugged. "We could go outside and hook it up to the National Grid," he suggested, not really meaning it.

The Wolf shot him an amused look. "Wrong sort of energy," she told him. "It's got to come from our universe."

"But we don't have anything," John pointed out.

"There's me," the Wolf said just before blowing gently on the green light cradled in her hands, a golden light coming out of her mouth and going into the bulb. It flared. "I just gave away ten years of my life. Worth every second," she said with a small smile.

John's eyes narrowed in concern before he let it go. If it was worth it to her, it didn't matter what he thought. Then he noticed the light dim. "It's going out. Is that okay?" he asked worriedly.

The Wolf nodded. "It's on a recharging cycle. It'll loop around, power back up, and be ready to take us home in, oh, twenty-four hours?"

"So that gives us twenty-four hours on a parallel world?" he confirmed, perking up.

She nodded again. "Shore leave. As long as we keep our heads down," she added with a warning tone. "Shouldn't be a problem. Come on, let's go back outside."

As soon as they left the ship, blinking at the contrast from the dark interior to the surprisingly sunny day outside, John turned to the Wolf. "Twenty-four hours, yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"'Cause my phone connected. There's this Cybus Network. It finds your phone and gives it Internet access."

The Wolf sighed. "John, whatever it says, this is the wrong world," she said wearily.

"I don't exist," was his blunt answer.

The Wolf started. "What?"

"There's no John Smythe. I was never born. Turns out the Emma here had a miscarriage thirty-three years ago, so there's Thomas, my dad, and Emma, my mum, but no me."

"Give me that phone." The Wolf reached for it, but John pulled away.

"They have a daughter though." The Wolf stilled at his words. "Her name's Antonia – goes by Toni. They're rich. Obviously, him running for President and all. They've got everything they could want. I just want to see them," he pleaded.

The Wolf shook her head. "You can't John, it's too dangerous," she denied. "I'm sorry, but you just can't."

John stopped walking so he could look the Wolf dead on. "Wolf, when we went to the past, I watched my parents die because _you_ told me I couldn't do anything to change events. I _watched_ them die. Trust me when I say I can watch them live," he said urgently. The Wolf hesitated, and sensing her wavering thoughts, John held out the phone for her to see. "Look. February the first. It's my mum's birthday. They're throwing a party and everything. We can sneak in – we can even be staff if you want. I just need to see them."

She sighed. "Of _course_ I trust you, John. Alright, we'll go."

* * *

They were walking along a busy street, the general public bustling around, all wearing strange earpieces with the Cybus Industries logo on them. They were either talking to other people or making notes with the pieces or they were tapping on the phones that also came from Cybus. There was a loud beep, and suddenly, everyone stood motionless, wherever they were. The middle of the crosswalk, in cars, on stairs, the whole city was still. Even the armed and uniformed men that seemed to be prevalent were stopped.

"What are they all doing?" John wondered, looking around in bewilderment.

"They've stopped." The Wolf went over and inspected one of the pedestrians. She jumped slightly when the woman's earpieces flashed. "It's the earpieces," she realized. "Like Bluetooth attachments, but everyone's connected together."

John pulled out his phone again. "It's on my phone. It's automatic, look." He held it out for the Wolf to see. "It's downloading. Is this what they're all getting?" He scrolled through. "News, international news, sports, weather," he recited.

"They get it direct. Downloaded right into their heads," the Wolf said.

"TV schedules, lottery numbers."

"Everyone shares the same information. A daily download published by Cybus Industries." All the people around them chuckled at the same time, then went about their business as though nothing had happened, leaving the pair staring. "You lot, you're obsessed," the Wolf muttered. "You'd do anything for the latest upgrade."

"Hey, not my lot," John protested. "Different world, remember."

"It's not so far off from your world," she countered. She took the phone and scanned through it. "Oh, look at that. Cybus Industries, owners of just about every company in Great Britain and financial backer of various political campaigns, including a certain Presidential candidate. Mister Thomas Smythe's very well connected." John shot her a knowing look, causing the Wolf to huff in annoyance. "Oh, okay, I give up. Yes, it's a good idea that you wanted to go see him. But that doesn't mean we don't still have to be very, _very_ careful while we're there."


	22. The Ultimage Upgrade

**A/N: Okay, last part of Rise of the Cybermen. The next chapter will pick up with the beginning of Age of Steel. Enjoy!**

* * *

The Ultimate Upgrade

With the help of the Wolf's psychic paper, she and John made it through the Smythe's back entrance as waiters fairly easily. A quick mention that their uniforms had been misplaced at the dry cleaners, and a coworker showed them to a small side room where extra outfits were being stored. The Wolf absolutely refused to dress in the typical women's uniform, an on-the-short-side frilly skirt and blouse, instead pulling out the smallest trousers and collared shirt she could find and taking them into the bathroom, leaving John to grin to himself and change in the room.

She returned a few minutes later, looking less like a penguin than any waiter had a right to, but John shook that thought away. "Did we actually have to be staff?" he drawled instead. "I was kind of kidding, you know. We could have been anyone."

"Got us in, didn't it?" she replied.

"You're the one in charge of the psychic paper. We could have been guests of some kind," he told her as they grabbed champagne trays and began circulating around the room together. "But no. We end up serving. I think we're both just a bit over-qualified for this job."

The Wolf scoffed. "If you want to know what's going on, work in the kitchens," she informed him. "Everyone ignores the person wearing the uniform. It's like you don't exist. You overhear the most amazing conversations that way."

"Really," he said, not convinced.

"Yes, now why don't you go and try it?" she nudged him, urging him to split away from her and make his own path through the throngs of guests. He hadn't seen his parents yet, nor the girl who was supposedly his sister. He guessed they would make their grand entrance later, being the hosts of this particular shindig.

* * *

Nearly an hour later, John – having heard nothing of much value – was looking for the Wolf. His parents still hadn't made an appearance, and he was beginning to think the evening was a waste of time when he spotted her talking to a young man in the kitchen doorway. Something inside him twinged, but he shoved the feeling down and turned away, looking for a distraction.

That was when he finally caught sight of who he'd come here to see. Thomas and Emma Smythe were descending the stairs, arm in arm. "Excuse me!" Thomas called out over the din, quieting the room. "Thank you. Thank you very much. Could I have your attention please?"

"Go on Thomas!" a man called out.

"It's about time you did some work!" another said.

Thomas just laughed and turned to look up at Emma a few steps above him. "I'd just like to thank you all for coming on this very special occasion. My wife's birthday." There was some general clapping and hoots from the party goers. "So, without further ado, here she is, the birthday girl," Thomas announced. "My lovely wife, Emma Smythe."

There was some more applause, but Emma waved it away. "I'm not giving a speech," she told them, a statement that was met with a happy cheer from the party goers. "No work here, no politics, just enjoy." She motioned for the music to start again, and the guests cheered again before going back to their conversations as Emma took Thomas' arm and they made their way down the stairs to talk to their friends.

"You can't stay," the Wolf's voice behind John drew his attention. He turned to her, to see her eyes were filled with understanding and compassion. "Even if there was some way to tell them, you can't stay."

"Of course I can't stay," John told her. "They've got each other, and a kid. One who isn't me. Besides," he nudged her playfully, "who would look after you if I did?"

The Wolf shot him a look, shaking her head but smiling a bit at his words. "They don't have you. All the different worlds, not one of them gets it right."

"But enough about me and my problems," he changed the subject. "What have you been up to?"

She shrugged. "Not much. Haven't really learned anything of great importance."

"What, tall, dark and handsome didn't have anything to say?" John muttered.

The Wolf tilted her head and looked at him, an amused glint in her eyes. "Why, John. Is that jealousy I detect in your tone?" she teased.

"No!" John denied hurriedly.

The Wolf burst out laughing, making John glare at her. After a few seconds, she composed herself. "Sorry," she apologized, "but you should've heard yourself. But anyways, that's Mark. And according to him, that man over there," she pointed out a middle aged black man, "is the current President of Great Britain."

"I was not jealous," John muttered. "And what's the President doing here if Thomas is running against him? That's still weird, too. President instead of Prime Minister. And what happened to the Monarchy?"

"I don't know what happened to the royal line. And apparently, their old friends. Thomas is the only one running against him this year, but they've remained cordial."

John smiled. "My dad always was friends with everyone, even those he didn't agree with."

"There's something going on here, though," the Wolf continued. "No one's talking about it, but the higher ups seem anxious. Stressed. Including your Thomas."

"How are you going to find out what it is?" John asked.

"I need a laptop."

"Try upstairs," he suggested. "From what I can tell, that's where all the living quarters are. He probably keeps one in his room."

"Will you be alright down here on your own?" she asked, looking concerned.

John nodded. "Sure. Go on, save the day." The Wolf shook her head and left him, casually making her way up the stairs as though she owned them. She was right. No one paid any attention to her because of her uniform. John worked himself back into the crowd, making sure that he avoided Mark as he continued to serve champagne.

Eventually, he managed to situate himself next to Thomas, who was miraculously alone at the moment. Emma was across the room with the current President, laughing at something as Thomas looked on affectionately. "Champagne, Sir?" he asked politely.

Thomas looked at him in surprise, before snagging a glass. "Might as well. I'm paying for it," he joked.

John smiled. "It's a big night for you."

"For her," Thomas corrected, nodding at Emma. "Still, she's happy."

"She should be. It's a great party," John told him, trying to keep up the act of pretending that they were strangers. That this wasn't something he'd wanted to do for over fifteen years.

"Do you think?" Thomas asked.

"You're the Presidential candidate," John said with a grin. "You have to own your opinions, no matter how small, not question them."

Thomas chuckled. "Too right. I've told my wife that before."

"My father said it to me once. So, how long have you two been married?" John asked, knowing the answer.

"Thirty-three years," Thomas answered on a sigh.

"And no kids, or – ?" John, wanting the conversation to continue, let the question out.

"One. Antonia, over there," Thomas pointed out a teenager who was surrounded by others her own age, all laughing. "We almost – before – but then we put it off. Almost didn't have any. But Toni's a good kid. Her mother and I though, we've been having some problems. We're trying to work it out, but sometimes – we want to keep it quiet. You know, it's bad for business, especially in my line of work." Thomas paused and gave John an incredulous look. "Why am I telling you all this?" he wondered. "We haven't met before, have we?" John shook his head. "I don't know, you just seem sort of –"

"What?" John asked.

"I don't know. Familiar. Right."

John shrugged. "Oh. Guess I just have one of those faces," he excused. "You know, my parents used to fight _all_ the time. They were two sticks of dynamite. But they always got through it. I've never seen two people who loved each other more. I wouldn't give up just yet, Mr. Smythe."

Thomas looked over at John curiously. "Thanks. What was your name?"

"John," he replied, taking the hand Thomas offered.

"Good name. If we ever had a son, we were going to name him John." A look of sadness crossed Thomas' face, but he shook it off quickly.

"Well, you have a good taste," John complimented, making Thomas chuckle before he moved back into the crowd.

"Stevie!" he called, greeting another man. "How're things? How's it going at Torchwood?"

John watched him for a moment before slipping up the stairs to find the Wolf. He found her in the first room he opened, absorbed in a computer screen. "How's it coming?" he asked, startling her.

"Geez, John, give a girl some warning," she complained as she turned to him. "Come over here, I think I found it."

John joined her at the computer. "What is it?"

The Wolf pointed at the screen. "This man, Lumic, is trouble. Genius, inventor, and all around bad news. Look at this." She clicked a video, and Lumic was shown giving a speech.

"The most precious thing on this Earth is the human brain, and it must be conserved. I have found a way to prolong the life of the brain, for with it, a person never truly dies." The curtain behind him rolled up, revealing a metallic human-shaped figure, standing at attention. "This is the ultimate upgrade," Lumic announced. "Our greatest step into cyberspace."

"Cybers," the Wolf growled. Without warning, she leapt from the chair and ran out of the room and down the stairs, heading for one of the front-facing windows. John followed her quickly and peered out the window, seeing a large group of the same metal robots approaching the house, as delicate as an elephant herd. "It's happening again," she muttered.

"What do you mean?" John asked.

"I've seen them before," the Wolf answered, still staring at them.

"What are they?"

"Cybermen." With that, the shattering of glass across the room caught their attention. The Cybermen smashed through the series of matching French windows on the other wall while others marched through the house, quickly surrounding the people in the house, herding them all into one room.

The President's phone rang suddenly, and he answered, putting it on speaker so everyone could hear. "Mister Lumic," he greeted stiffly.

"Mister President," a rough voice filtered through. "I suppose a remark about crashing the party would be appropriate."

"I forbade this," the President hissed into the phone.

"These are my children, Sir. Would you deny me my family?"

"What are they, robots?" John whispered in the Wolf's ear.

"Worse than that," was her barely audible reply.

"Who were these people?" the President demanded to know, his words causing John's eyes to widen I horror. _These had been people once?_

"Doesn't matter," Lumic dismissed.

"They're people?" John asked in disbelief, dreading the confirmation.

"They were, until they had all their humanity taken away. That's a living brain jammed inside a cybernetic body, with a heart of steel. All emotions removed," she said grimly.

"Why no emotions?"

The Wolf hesitated, her face growing sad. "Because it hurts," she said softly, swallowing hard.

"I demand to know, Lumic!" the President spoke once more. "These people, who were they?"

"They were homeless, wretched, and useless," Lumic replied carelessly. "Until I saved them, and elevated them, and gave them life eternal. And now I leave you in their capable hands. Good night, sir." Lumic hung up without waiting for a reply.

"We. Have. Been. Upgraded," a Cyberman said robotically.

The Wolf carefully worked herself up behind the President, and John stood behind Emma, ready for anything. "Into what?" she asked.

"The. Next. Level. Of. Mankind. We. Are. Human. Point. Two. Every. Citizen. Will. Receive. A. Free. Upgrade. You. Will. Become. Like. Us."

"I'm sorry," the President apologized. "I'm so sorry for what's been done to you, but listen to me. This experiment ends tonight."

"Upgrading. Is. Compulsory," the robot denied.

"And if I refuse?" the President asked.

"Don't," the Wolf warned him quietly.

"What if I refuse?" he said again.

"I'm telling you, don't," she advised.

"What happens if I refuse?" the President went on stubbornly.

"Then. You. Are. Not. Compatible," the Cyberman said.

"What happens then?"

"You. Will. Be. Deleted." Without further warning, the Cyberman put its hand on the President's neck, electrocuting him. The crowd screamed and turned into chaos as everyone tried to run at once.

The Wolf grabbed John, and he grabbed Emma, who had been staring on in shock. "Emma, run!" he yelled as the Wolf dragged him away. Emma stumbled but followed him. The three jumped out a broken window the Cybermen had previously climbed through.

"There's nothing we can do!" the Wolf yelled at him as she stopped him from going back through the window.

"My father's in there!" he yelled.

"He is not your father! Come on!" she forcefully pulled John with her, Emma following close behind. They took off across the lawn, but were cut off by a line of Cybermen before they made it halfway. They ran back, and were met by Thomas jumping out the same window they had just escaped from.

Emma shrieked and ran at him, engulfing him in a hug just as he yelled for her and Toni.

"Quick, quick!" John urged them.

Thomas and Emma followed him and the Wolf as they ran from the house. "Thomas, is there a way out?" the Wolf yelled over her shoulder.

"The side gates. Who are you? How do you know so much?"

"You wouldn't believe it in a million years," she replied. More Cybermen cut off the path to the side gate, drawing them to a halt. The Wolf spun around, looking for another exit, as two armed figures appeared in front of the floodlights, running toward them.

"Get behind us!" the darker skinned fellow yelled. He and the other man, a blonde, opened fire on the Cybermen, but the bullets just bounced off. The robots halted their march.

"Who the hell are you?" John asked. _And why does he look like Mike?_

"Oh, as if things weren't bad enough," the Wolf muttered disdainfully, "we've got guerrilla fighters with big guns."

"We're surrounded," Thomas broke in.

"Put the guns down," the Wolf ordered the two young men. "Bullets won't stop them. The blonde started shooting again, but the Wolf forcefully pulled the gun from him, surprising the kid with her strength, and tossed it away. "No! Stop shooting, now!" she warned the other one. He reluctantly dropped his weapon to the ground. "We surrender!" she shouted to the robots. "Hands up," she commanded the rest of the group, hers already in the air. "There's no need to damage us," she said to the Cybermen. "We're good stock. We volunteer for the upgrade program. Take us to be processed."

"You. Are. Rogue. Elements," one Cyberman announced.

The Wolf frowned. "But we surrender."

"You. Are. Incompatible," it said.

"But this is a surrender," she protested. John looked at her worriedly.

"You. Will. Be. Deleted."

"But we're surrendering! Listen to me, we surrender!"

"You. Are. Inferior. Man. Will. Be. Reborn. As. Cybermen. But. You. Will. Perish. Under. Maximum. Deletion." The robots advanced on the group, their deadly hands held out toward them. But John was watching the Wolf slip one hand into her pocket, and wondered what she was doing.

"Delete. Delete. Delete!" was the ominous chant.


	23. Making it Up

Making it Up

John ducked and tugged Emma down as the Wolf pulled out the TARDIS power cell from her pocket. She aimed it at the Cybermen, and golden energy exploded from the tiny bulb. The robots were bent backwards from the force of the explosion of power before they were atomized by the energy.

"What the hell was that?" one of the fighters asked breathlessly.

The Wolf tossed the cell in her hand before stuffing it back in her pocket. "I think I'll have that option instead," she said to the open air, ignoring him. "Run!" she ordered the rest of the group.

Just then, a van screeched to a halt next to them, the sliding door opening up. "Everybody, in!" a middle aged woman shouted at them, honking the horn.

John urged the two Smythes toward the vehicle, but Thomas resisted. "I've got to go back! My daughter's in there!" he protested.

"Toni!" Emma yelled, trying to break free too.

"Anyone inside that house is dead," the Wolf told them bluntly, holding Thomas back with her deceptive strength. "If you want to help, then don't let her die for nothing. You both have to come with us right now."

"Come on! Get a move on!" the driver yelled again. The two soldiers were already in the van. After a bit of hesitation, the two Smythes got in the car, but John looked back one more time.

The Wolf gripped his arm carefully. "John, you don't have a sister," she reminded him quietly.

John sighed. "I know," he answered, getting in the van with the Wolf quickly following.

"Finished chatting?" the prickly driver asked. "Never seen a slower getaway in my life!" She floored the van as the blonde man slid the door shut. With a loud roar, they made their escape onto the back roads of London.

After a few minutes of silence, the blonde made introductions. "The name's Jake, that's Ricky," he pointed at the other man, who remained stonily silent. "And that's Mrs. Moore," he nodded at their driver, who waved a hand over her shoulder as she remained concentrated on the road, on the lookout for more Cybermen.

"Doesn't he look like your pal Mickey, John?" the Wolf asked him.

"His name is Mike," John corrected.

"No, it was definitely Mickey," the Wolf denied. "Mickey the Idiot."

"The name's Ricky," Ricky reiterated.

"So you can be Ricky the Idiot!" the Wolf said cheerfully.

"What?" was the growl that he returned.

John sighed. "Just ignore her. It'll go faster that way."

"What was that thing?" Ricky changed the subject.

The Wolf pulled out the power cell, turning it in her palm. "Little bit of technology from home," she said fondly.

"It's stopped glowing," John pointed out, worried. "Has it run out?"

"It's on a revitalizing loop. It'll charge back up in about four hours," she explained. John sighed in relief.

"Right," Ricky scoffed. "So, we don't have a weapon anymore."

"We've got weapons," Jake protested. "Might not be one of those metal things, but they're good enough for men like _him_," he gestured violently at Thomas, who looked at him in surprise.

"Leave him alone," John said angrily, jumping to Thomas' defense. "What's he done wrong?"

"Oh, you know, just laid a trap that's wiped out the Government, left Lumic in charge, and the path free for him to take over," Jake snarled.

"If I was part of all that, do you think I'd leave my only child inside?" Thomas denied, eyes narrowed.

"Maybe your plan went wrong," Ricky jumped in on the accusations. "Still gives us the right to execute you, though."

Emma made a small noise, gripping Thomas' hand tightly. He squeezed it reassuringly. The Wolf placed herself between the two boys and the Smythes. "Talk about executions, you'll make me your enemy," she growled warningly, staring the young men down. "And take some really good advice. You do_ not_ want to do that."

"All the same," Ricky continued, only looking slightly cowed, "we have evidence that says Thomas Smythe's been working for Lumic since twenty point five."

"Is that true?" John asked Thomas quickly.

"Tell them, Mrs. M," Ricky called.

"We've got a government mole who feeds us information," Mrs. Moore said over her shoulder as she kept driving. "Lumic's private files, his South American operations, the lot. Secret broadcasts twice a week."

Thomas sighed, rubbing his forehead wearily. "Broadcast from Gemini?" he asked knowingly.

"And how do you know that?" Ricky demanded.

"I'm Gemini. That's me."

Ricky rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well you would say that."

"Encrypted wavelength six five seven using binary nine," Thomas recited. "That's the only reason I was working for Lumic. To get information. I thought I was broadcasting to the Security Services,"he groaned. "What do I get? Scooby Doo and his gang. They've even got the van."

Emma gasped. "That's what you were doing?" she asked, her eyes looking wet.

Thomas took her hand, turning to look at her. "I was trying to protect you and Toni, Ems. If Lumic had found out, we would all be those Cybers right now. We would've been the first batch."

Emma let out a noise that sounded like a sob of relief. "And all this time I thought you were pulling away. All that overtime at the office. I though you were having an affair!" John smiled as they hugged, relieved that they were at least going to make it.

"That's all very touching and all," Jake muttered, "but that still doesn't change the fact that now we've got nothing."

"That's not true, Jakey," Ricky protested. "We're the Preachers, we know what we're doing. I _am_ London's Most Wanted."

Thomas shot him a scrutinizing look. "I've heard of you – the Preachers. Ricky Smith. Most Wanted for parking tickets."

"Great," John groaned, making the Wolf grin.

"Yeah, they were deliberate," Ricky said sullenly. "I was fighting the system. Park anywhere, that's me."

"Good policy," the Wolf finally broke in. "I do much the same. I'm the Wolf, by the way, if anyone's interested."

"And I'm John," John introduced himself.

"Even better," Thomas mumbled. "At least I've got the catering staff on my side."

"They saved me, Thomas," Emma told him quietly. "And they didn't have to."

"But we lost Toni, Ems," Thomas replied sadly.

"She might still be alive," John encouraged.

Thomas met his eyes. "That's even worse," he said darkly. "Because that's what Lumic does. He takes the living and he turns them into those machines."

"Cybermen," the Wolf elaborated. "They're called Cybermen. And I'd take those ear pods off, if I were you. You never know. Lumic could be listening." The pair took off the electronic pieces, handing them over to the Wolf, who zapped them with her sonic screwdriver, rendering them useless. "But he's overreached himself," she continued. "He's still just a businessman. He's assassinated the President. All we need to do is get to the city and inform the authorities. Because I promise you, this ends tonight."

* * *

Finally, Mrs. Moore pulled the van over to a sidewalk on a back street, allowing all of the passengers to exit. They walked as a group down the road, looking about cautiously. Jake was the first to reach the corner. "What the hell?" he murmured.

"What's going on?" John asked. They peered around the edge of the block. All down the street, on sidewalks and in the middle of the road, walking like zombies.

"It's the ear pods," the Wolf said quietly. "Lumic's taken control."

"Can't we just, I don't know, take them off?"

Ricky walked up to a man to try just that, but the Wolf ran up to him and grabbed his wrist to drag him away. "Don't!" she yelled. "You'll cause a brainstorm. Human race. For such an intelligent lot, you aren't half susceptible. Give anyone a chance to take control and you submit," she spat. "Sometimes I think you like it. Easy life."

"Hey," John admonished her in a low tone, pulling on her hand.

"Hey, come and see," Jake interrupted, waving them over. Around the next corner, there were even more people, along with a squad of Cybermen.

"Where are they all going?" John wondered.

"I don't know. Lumic must have a base of operations," the Wolf said.

"Battersea," Thomas supplied. "That's where he was building his prototypes."

"Why's he doing it?" John asked.

"He's dying. This all started out as a way of prolonging life, of keeping the brain alive at any cost," Thomas explained.

"Okay, but I've seen Cybermen before, haven't I?" John asked the Wolf. "The head. Those handle shapes in Van Statten's museum."

The Wolf nodded. "There are Cybermen in our universe. They started on an ordinary world just like this, then swarmed across the galaxy. This lot are a parallel version, and they're starting from scratch right here on Earth," she answered.

"What the hell are you two on about?" Thomas spluttered.

"Never mind that," Ricky dismissed. "Come on, we need to get out of the city." He thought for a second before reaching a decision. "Okay, split up. Mrs. Moore, you look after the civilians. Jakey, distract them. Go right, I'll go left. We'll meet back at Bridge Street."

"If you think I'm letting you go off and play hero on your own, you don't know me that well," Jake denied. "We have a much better chance surviving together if I watch your back."

Ricky looked like he wanted to protest, but nodded. "Fine. Move." The two of them took off, catching the eye of one patrol as they ran.

"Come on, let's go," Mrs. Moore ordered, leading them down another street, but they were met with more Cyber patrols.

The Wolf looked around quickly, and pointed out a side street. "There!" she yelled, and they took off for it. The Cybermen followed at their slow march as the group of five took shelter behind some rubbish bins. The robots began making their way down the alley, and the Wolf pulled out her sonic screwdriver.

John felt someone grab his hand. Looking down, he realized it was Emma. He was surprised, but squeezed it reassuringly as the Wolf used her screwdriver to transmit some kind of a signal that caused the Cybermen to ignore their hiding spot and march on.

"Go," the Wolf whispered, urging them to leave the alley, bringing up the rear.

* * *

Jake ran up to a chain link fence where he was supposed to meet Ricky after they had split up. Ricky ran around the corner just yards in front of a pack of Cybermen. "Come on! Come on! Come on!" Jake urged him to run faster. He hauled himself up the fence just as Ricky leapt onto it, climbing up it. A little more agile, Jake reached the top first and swung a hand over. "Reach!"

Ricky was struggling a bit, trying not to watch the Cybers get closer and reaching for Jake at the same time. He slipped.

"No!" Jake yelled, lunging farther down and grabbing Ricky's hand just as a Cyber reached for him, brutally pulling him up and out of the way. Jake dragged Ricky over the fence and through the barbed wire on top of it, both of them falling to the ground in a panting heap.

The two men got to their feet and stared at the Cybermen, who merely looked back, before taking off back the way Jake had come, heading for Bridge Street.

* * *

The larger group had been waiting at Bridge Street for ten minutes, Mrs. Moore getting more and more anxious by the second, when the two boys ran up, gasping for air. "There you are!" Mrs. Moore cried out in relief, hugging the both of them. "What happened to you?"

"I ran past the river," Jake panted. "You should have seen it. The whole city's on the march. Hundreds of Cybermen all down the Thames. And then this bastard," he jerked a thumb at Ricky, "almost got himself caught by the ankle and killed. They just missed him."

"I tried," Ricky protested. "There was too many to get away from. Besides, you were there."

Jake rolled his eyes, grabbing Ricky and pulling him in for a hard kiss. "I've half a mind to call you Mickey the idiot, like she said," he pointed at the Wolf. "You're lucky you're a good boyfriend," he muttered, smiling slightly at Ricky's dazed look.

John leaned over to whisper in the Wolf's ear. "Definitely not Mike," he said casually. The Wolf grinned.

"Let's go on, shall we?" she spoke up. "Time we got to Battersea, I think."

* * *

Ten minutes of Mrs. Moore's reckless driving later, and the group had made it safely to a spot across the river from the Battersea Power Station. The Wolf jumped out of the van, already talking. "The whole of London's been sealed off, and the entire population's been taken inside that place. To be converted."

"So we get in there and shut it down," John said.

"How do we do that?" Ricky asked.

"Oh, I'll think of something," the Wolf said off-handedly.

Ricky shot her a look. "You're just making this up as you go along," he realized.

The Wolf winked at him. "Yep. But I do it brilliantly."

"She does," John reassured him.

Mrs. Moore pulled out her Cybus Industries laptop and set it up on the van's hood. She clicked through some files before landing on some blueprints. "Look here," she called. "That's a schematic of the old factory. Look." She pointed. "Cooling tunnels underneath the plant. Big enough to walk through."

"We go under there and up into the control center?" the Wolf asked.

"Mmhm," Mrs. Moore confirmed.

"There's another way in," Thomas spoke up. "Through the front door. If they've taken Toni for upgrading, that's how she'll get in."

"We can't just go strolling up," Jake protested.

Mrs. Moore dug around in her knapsack, pulling out a set of ear pieces. "Or we could, with these. Fake ear pods. Dead. No signal. But put them on, the Cybermen would mistake you for one of the crowd."

"Then that's my job," Thomas snagged the pair of ear pieces.

"I'm coming with you," Emma said immediately.

Thomas spun to face her, shaking his head. "No, Ems, you can't."

"Thomas, you can't ask me to wait out here when our only child could be in there, alive and frightened," Emma told him, glaring.

"I can, and I will," her husband said firmly. "If it's too late, and Toni is gone," his voice broke, but he recovered, "then I will not lose both my daughter and my wife in one day. You're staying here." Emma shot him a mutinous look, but remained silent after that. He turned back to the Wolf. "I'm going in that way."

"You'd have to show no emotion," she warned him. "None at all. Any sign of emotion would give you away."

"How many of those you got?" John asked suddenly, nodding at the ear pods.

"Just two sets," Mrs. Moore answered, pulling out another one.

John took them, putting them in his pocket. "Okay. If that's the best way of finding Toni, then I'm coming with you," he told Thomas.

"Why does she matter to you?" Thomas asked incredulously.

"We haven't got the time," John said dismissively. "Wolf, I'm going with him."

The Wolf shook her head. "No stopping you, is there?" was her rueful answer.

"Nope."

She nodded, looking around at the rest of the group. "Tell you what. We can take the ear pods at the same time. Give people their minds back so they don't walk into that place like sheep. You two," she called the young fighters, who looked up quickly. "Lumic's transmitting the control signal. It must be from over there." She waved her sonic in the air in the direction of the power station. Her eyes focused on the Zeppelin on top of the building, a circle of red lights blinking on its bow. She pointed at it. "There it is. On the Zeppelin, you see? Great big transmitter. Good thing Lumic likes showing off. Reckon you could take it out?"

Ricky nodded. "Know my way around a computer, should be able to shut it down," he acknowledged.

Jake grinned. "And if not, I can always crash it," he said excitedly.

"Good." The Wolf turned to the computer expert, holding out her arm. "Mrs. Moore, would you care to accompany me to the cooling tunnels?" she asked jovially.

Mrs. Moore grinned. "How could I refuse an offer of cooling tunnels?"

The Wolf turned back to face the rest of the group. "We attack on three sides. Above, between, below. We get to the control center, we stop the conversion machines. Mrs. Moore, we'll go in a minute. I just need to speak with John first." She grabbed John by the arm and dragged him away so they could talk privately.

"Are you alright, John?" she asked once they were out of earshot. He nodded tightly. "Then why this desire to save Toni?" she went on. "I know you feel responsible for her, but you're not actually related. She's not your sister."

John's reply was nearly inaudible. "She was supposed to be."

There was a long silence before the Wolf spoke again. "Explain," she requested quietly.

John sighed. "My mother was pregnant the day my parents died. It was a total accident. A complete surprise. They'd had me really young, but it was a difficult pregnancy. They tried again for years but eventually just gave up. She was only a couple months along, and we'd just found out. Somehow, I get the feeling it was going to be a girl. She would be Toni's age now if she'd survived."

He was so busy staring at the ground that he didn't notice the Wolf moving closer until she'd wrapped him in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Johnny," she whispered, aching that that young boy had suffered yet another loss at such an early age.

"She wasn't even born yet," John muttered into her hair. "There was nothing I could do to save her. But I can try and save this Toni. For them," he said, nodding at Thomas and Emma.

The Wolf drew back and looked him in the eye. "You be careful," she ordered him in a fierce tone. "As much as I know you want to do this, to save Toni, I care about you more. I want you back in one piece," she warned.

John grinned, looking like himself again. "Aye aye, Captain," he mocked before heading over to stand next to Thomas.

"Ricky, you got a phone on you?" the Wolf called.

"Yeah, why?" the boy asked.

"Give it here. John you too." Ricky and John handed them over, and the Wolf programmed in their respective numbers. "In case we need to communicate," she explained, tossing them back. She went back to John, who looked down at her affectionately. "Good luck," she told him seriously as Thomas moved off to farewell Emma.

"Good luck to you too." John hesitated, then gave her a quick kiss to her forehead before quickly following Thomas down the embankment to head for the bridge and the front entrance of the power station. The Wolf stood there for a second, a little bewildered, but called for Mrs. Moore and opened up the tunnel system.


	24. Free Will

**A/N: Didn't have enough of an episode to create three full-sized chapters, so you get an long-ish one instead. That's exciting, isn't it? And sorry for disappearing for a bit. I have a retail job, and we just extended hours for the holidays, and I'm exhausted and haven't really had a second to even upload, let along write. Sorry about that.**

* * *

Free Will

Mrs. Moore rubbed her arms together as she and the Wolf made their way through the cooling tunnels. "It's freezing," she shivered.

"Any sign of a light switch?" the Wolf asked, looking around.

"Can't see a thing. But I've got these." Mrs. Moore dug around in her knapsack and triumphantly pulled out a pair of odd-looking headbands. "A device for every occasion."

"Ooo." The Wolf grabbed one and stuck it on her head, clicking the light on. "Haven't got a reverse-Cyberizer in there, have you? Make things go a lot quicker."

Mrs. Moore chuckled. "Afraid not."

"Ah, well. Let's see where we are." The Wolf ranged the light around the tunnel, and Mrs. Moore jumped when they saw dozens of Cybermen lined up along both sides of the walls. The Wolf walked up to one, inspecting it. "Already converted, just put on ice," she reassured the woman. "Come on." She tapped on the Cyberman's face, but there was no reaction. "Let's just go slowly. Keep an eye out for any kind of trip systems."

Mrs. Moore nodded warily, but followed the Wolf without protest. They walked on in silence for a while, keeping an eye both on the ground for any traps, and on the Cybermen for any signs of life. "How did you get into this, then, rattling along with the Preachers?" the Wolf eventually asked.

"Oh, I used to be ordinary. Worked at Cybus Industries, nine to five, till one day, I find something I'm not supposed to," Mrs. Moore explained. "A file on the mainframe. All I did was read it. Then suddenly I've got men with guns knocking in the middle of the night." She sighed. "Life on the run. Then I found the Preachers. They needed a techie, so I just sat down and taught myself everything."

The Wolf whistled silently, impressed. "What about Mr. Moore?"

Mrs. Moore laughed slightly. "Well, he's not called Moore. I got that from a book, Mrs. Moore. It's safer not to use real names. But he thinks I'm dead," she said sadly. "It was the only way to keep him safe. Him and the kids. What about you?" she asked, turning to the Wolf. "Got any family, or?"

The Wolf frowned. "No. It's just me and John. Well, him and the rest of the world, whenever it runs into trouble. Which seems to be every other Tuesday. But go on, then. What's your real name?"

Mrs. Moore hesitated. "Angela Price. Don't tell a soul," she warned.

"Not a word," the Wolf promised.

Behind them, a Cyberman twitched, a light inside its helmet beginning to blink. It's movement made a small noise, causing Mrs. Moore to whirl around. "Wolf, did that one just move?" she asked nervously.

The Wolf stared, but stuck her hand out behind Mrs. Moore, urging the woman to go in front of her. "It's just the torchlight," she answered unconvincingly. "Keep going, come on." A Cyberman right next to them jerked its arm. The Wolf pushed Mrs. Moore forward. "They're waking up. Run!"

Mrs. Moore and the Wolf began sprinting down the corridor along the row of Cyberman, more and more of the robots coming to life. They fell into line as they woke up, clomping along after the intruders. The two reached a ladder at the end of the tunnel, leading up to a trapdoor. The Wolf pulled out her sonic screwdriver to open it. "Get up!" Mrs. Moore shouted at her. "Quick, quick!"

The Wolf hauled herself up the rungs, got the door open and pulled herself through as fast as she could, turning to give Mrs. Moore a hand. "Come on, come on!" she yelled down. She helped her up the last few steps, immediately shutting the trapdoor as the Cybermen began their climb and sealed it with her screwdriver. She huffed out a relieved laugh, Mrs. Moore going right along with her. "Oh, good team, Mrs. Moore," she complimented, grinning.

They began their walk once more. The lights along the corridor became more frequent, indicating that they were getting closer to their target. As they were passing an alcove, a Cyberman suddenly stepped out. "You. Are. Not. Upgraded," it stated.

The Wolf froze, but Mrs. Moore dug in her knapsack. "Yeah? Well, upgrade this," she spat, throwing a small rod with copper wire wrapped around it at the robot. It stuck to the metal, causing the Cyberman to jerk as sparks raced along its body before it collapsed, motionless.

"What the hell was that thing?" the Wolf spluttered.

Mrs. Moore grinned. "Electromagnetic bomb. Takes out computers," she shrugged, "I figured it might stop the cyber-suit."

The Wolf was impressed. "You figured right." She knelt down next to the body. "Now, let's have a look. Know your enemy, and all that," she mused. "A logo on the front. Lumic's turned them into a brand," she said, pointing at the chest before pulling it open using her screwdriver. "Heart of steel, but look." The Wolf indicated the inside of the logo boss on the chest.

"Is that flesh?" Mrs. Moore asked, sounding a bit sick.

The Wolf hummed in affirmation. "Central nervous system," she elaborated. "Artificially grown then threaded throughout the suit so it responds like a living thing. Well, it is a living thing. Oh, but look," she nudged away a few nerves to reveal a mechanical piece. "Emotional inhibitor. Stops them feeling anything," she sighed.

"But why?" Mrs. Moore didn't understand.

"It's still got a human brain. Imagine its reaction if it could see itself, realize itself inside this thing. They'd drive themselves insane with screaming."

"So they cut out the one thing that makes them human."

"Because they have to."

"Why am I cold?" the Cyberman asked, sounding just a tiny bit more human.

"Oh, my God," Mrs. Moore whispered in horror. "It's alive. It can feel."

"We broke the inhibitor," the Wolf explained before turning back to the robot. "I'm so sorry," she apologized to it.

"Why so cold?" it asked.

"Can you remember your name?" the Wolf asked instead.

"Sally," it replied after a brief hesitation. "Sally Phelan."

"You're a woman," Mrs. Moore realized.

"Where's Gareth," Sally asked.

"Who's Gareth?"

"He can't see me," Sally said, sounding distressed. "It's unlucky the night before."

"You're getting married," the Wolf realized sadly.

"I'm cold, I'm so cold."

"It's alright," the Wolf reassured her. "You sleep now, Sally. Just go to sleep." She slipped her sonic into the chest cavity and switched the robot off, giving the woman peace. "Sally Phelan didn't die for nothing, because that's the key," she growled. "The emotional inhibitor. If we could find the code behind it, the cancellation code, then feed it throughout the system into every Cyberman's head, they'd realize what they are."

"And what happens then?" Mrs. Moore asked.

The Wolf hesitated. "I think it would kill them. Could we do that? Could I do that?" she wondered.

"We've got to," Mrs. Moore told her standing up and moving behind her. "Before they kill everyone else. There's no choice, Wolf. It's got to be done." Suddenly, out of nowhere, a Cyberman appeared and grabbed Mrs. Moore by the shoulder, electrocuting her. Mrs. Moore didn't even have time to let out a sound before she fell to the ground, dead.

The Wolf leapt to her feet. "No!" she screamed. "No, you didn't have to kill her!"

"Sensors. Indicate. A. Binary. Vascular. System," the Cyberman stated, unphased. "You. Are. An. Unknown. Upgrade. You. Will. Be. Taken. For. Analysis."

The Wolf let them take her without a fight, knowing they would bring her where she wanted to be anyways. "Yeah, I could do that," she muttered under her breath. She just hoped John made it without getting caught.

* * *

John and Thomas were huddled out of sight of the Cybermen guards just outside of the power station, waiting for an opportune time to sneak in. "Before we go in," Thomas spoke suddenly, "I just want to know – why are you doing this? Why put yourself at risk? You already saved my Ems, now you're helping me find my daughter. Why?"

John considered for a moment. "Let me ask you a question first." He needed to know what had happened in this universe. "Were you in a car accident? About eighteen years ago?"

Thomas gave him a strange look. "Yes," he answered hesitantly. "Ems and I almost died, and we almost lost our baby before she was born. How did you know that?"

"Let's just say I was in an accident too," John replied vaguely, "and my parents and sister weren't so lucky. I'm doing it for them." John saw a procession of blank faced captives approaching the power station and quickly left their hiding place to join it without saying another word.

Thomas took a second to catch up, processing what John had said, but walked out as well, getting into line right behind John. The queue moved slowly, the Cybermen stopping the line every dozen people or so. After about twenty minutes, John and Thomas made into the building.

"Units. Upgraded. Now. Six. Thousand. Five. Hundred," a Cyberman at the head of the line announced. "Repeat. Six. Thousand. Five. Hundred. And. Rising." As John got to the head of the line, the Cyberman halted the procession. "You. Will. Wait," it ordered him before moving away.

"You okay?" Thomas whispered in his ear.

John kept his face passive, trying to move his mouth as little as possible. "For now," he murmured back. He watched in horror as a woman walked into a chamber and saw blades whirred into action and descended on her. She never even screamed. A Cyberman walked out and clomped away.

"Any sign of Toni?" Thomas asked, but John shook his head minutely.

He was trying to figure out a way to avoid going into a chamber without being detected when a Cyberman marched up to them. "You. Are. Thomas. Smythe. Confirm. You. Are. Thomas. Smythe," It demanded.

"Confirmed," Thomas answered after the briefest hesitation.

"I. Recognize. You," it said. "I. Went. First. My. Name. Was. Antonia. Smythe."

"What?" John asked in disbelief.

"No!" Thomas yelled. He rushed the robot, but John grabbed him, holding him back.

"They. Are. Unprogrammed. Restrain," the Cyberman said, taking John by the arms as another took hold of Thomas. Thomas began to struggle, but John hissed at him to be still. The Cybermen wouldn't hesitate to kill them.

"You're lying!" Thomas shouted at the Cyberman. "You're not her. You're not my Toni!"

"No. I. Am. Cyber-form. Once. I. Was. Antonia. Smythe," it droned.

"It's not her anymore," John told Thomas.

"Her. Brain. Is. Inside. This. Body," the robot refuted.

"But you aren't her anymore," John retorted.

"Toni. My little girl. I came to save you," Thomas whispered in anguish.

The Cyberman that had been Toni turned to its compatriot. "This. Man. Worked. With. Cybus. Industries. To. Create. Our. Species. He. Will. Be. Rewarded. By. Force. Take. Them. To. Cyber. Control." John and Thomas were escorted away under guard.

"They killed her," John muttered. "All of them. They just took them and killed them. Sixty-five hundred, they said. In just a few hours, they've killed over six thousand people."

"Maybe there's a chance, I don't know," Thomas tried. "Maybe we can reverse it."

John shook his head. "There's nothing we can do."

"But if – if she remembers," Thomas protested. "Where is she? Which one was it? Which one was my little girl?" he asked craning his neck to look.

"They all look the same," John replied hopelessly.

* * *

The Wolf was pushed into the Control Room by one of the robots before it turned and left, sealing her inside with just one Cyber guard.. She was both glad and upset to see that both Thomas and John were already in there, sitting on some stairs. "Oh no, I've been captured, but don't worry, John and Thomas are still out there. They can rescue me. Oh well, never mind," she drawled.

"Thought you didn't like being the damsel in distress," John managed to tease, though his heart wasn't in it.

"Do not get cheeky with me Johnny boy," she warned, but moved to sit next to him. "You okay?" she asked quietly.

John nodded despondently. "Yeah, but they got Toni."

"We were too late," Thomas added. "Lumic killed her."

The Wolf leapt to her feet. "Then where is he, the famous Mister Lumic?" she asked the air. "Don't we get the chance to meet our Lord and Master, killer of children?" she snarled that last bit.

"He. Has. Been. Upgraded," their guard declared.

"So he's just like you?" she clarified.

"He. Is. Superior," it corrected. "The. Lumic. Unit. Has. Been. Designated. Cyber. Controller." A door opened and a Cyberman was wheeled out in a kind of upgraded wheelchair, appearing dramatically out of a haze of smoke.

"Well doesn't he just have flair," the Wolf muttered sarcastically under her breath, making John smile a bit.

"This is the Age of Steel and I am it's Creator," Lumic announced robotically, but sounding more human than the other droids.

"Well, technically they're not steel, more of a polyvalent starite metal," the Wolf corrected him. "Harder than diamond."

"Different universe, Wolf," John reminded her.

The Wolf nodded. "Right. Okay, maybe they're steel," she amended.

* * *

Ricky and Jake knocked out the one guard inside the Zeppelin, and Ricky settled himself at the computer. "Can you break into it?" Jake asked.

"The transmitter controls are sealed behind here," Ricky pointed off to the side, "we'd need an oxyacteylene or something to break through."

"Well, sorry babe, but I forgot to bring it with me," Jake teased, grinning excitedly. "Guess we'll just have to crash it."

"With us inside it, Jake? Not your best plan ever."

"We could set it to automatic," Jake suggested, "and then just leg it."

"Let me try to get into the computer first," Ricky said. He turned to the steering controls, attempting to hack into the override system.

The dead Cyberman they'd ignored earlier flexed its hand, catching Jake's attention. "Ricky, you said it was dead!" he shouted, retreating.

Ricky jumped up from his seat. "Okay, big robot." He got an idea. "Hey, over here," he yelled at it, waving his arms to draw its focus from Jake. It turned to go after him. "Come on, you brainless killing machine. Come and have a go." He place himself in front of the panel concealing the transmitter controls. The Cyberman swung its fist, but Ricky ducked away and it went straight into the panel, electrocuting the robot.

Ricky quickly returned to the monitor, hacking into the cameras in the power station. He scanned the screens until he found their three allies in the Control Room. "Ha! Look at that, they're still alive."

"Has it got sound?" Jake asked. Ricky quickly typed in a few commands so they could listen in.

* * *

The sound of screaming could be heard outside the room. The Wolf grinned. "Those are my friends at work," she said cheerfully. "Good boys. Mister Lumic, I think that's a vote for free will," she told him.

"I have factories waiting on seven continents," Lumic dismissed. "If the ear pods have failed, then the Cybermen will take humanity by force. London has fallen. So shall the rest of the world. Resistance will be futile. I will bring peace to the world. Everlasting peace and unity and uniformity," he declared.

"And imagination?" the Wolf inquired. "What about that? The one thing that led you here, imagination, and you're killing it dead!" she ended on a shout.

"You two, I don't know you. What are your names?" Lumic asked.

"I'm the Wolf, and he's Doctor John Smythe," the Wolf replied. As she was speaking, she caught a flashing red light out of the corner of her eye, indicating that the security cameras were still functioning.

"A redundant career. Doctors need no longer exist," Lumic rebutted. "Cybermen never sicken."

"Yeah, but that's it. That's exactly the point!" the Wolf exclaimed. "Oh, Lumic, you're a clever man. I'd call you a genius, except I'm in the room." John snorted. She went on, ignoring him. "But everything you've invented, you did it to fight your sickness. And that's brilliant! That is so human. But once you get rid of sickness and mortality, then what's there to strive for? The Cybermen won't advance. You'll just stop. You'll stay like this forever. A metal Earth with metal men and metal thoughts, lacking the one thing that makes this planet so alive. People," she told him simply. "Ordinary, stupid, brilliant people."

"You are proud of your emotions," Lumic realized.

"Oh, yes."

"Then tell me, little Wolf. Have you known grief, and rage, and pain?"

The Wolf looked down. "Yes. Yes I have."

"And they hurt?" he asked.

"Oh yeah."

"I could set you free," Lumic offered. "Would you not want that? A life without pain?"

"You might as well kill me," the Wolf growled.

"Then I take that option."

"It's not yours to take," the Wolf denied. "You're a _Cyber_ Controller. You don't control me or anything with blood in its heart."

"You have no means of stopping me," Lumic gloated. "I have an army. A species of my own."

The Wolf rolled her eyes. "You just don't get it, do you? An army's nothing. Because those ordinary people, they're the key. The most ordinary person could change the world." She looked directly into the security camera on the wall. "Some ordinary man or woman, some idiot," she said carelessly. "All it takes is for him to find, say, the right numbers. The right codes. Say, for example, the code behind the emotional inhibitor. The code right in front of him. Because even an idiot knows how to use computers these days. Knows how to get past firewalls and passwords. Knows how to find something encrypted in the Lumic Family Database, under, erm, what what it, Thomas? Binary what?" she asked

"Binary nine?" Thomas supplied.

* * *

"She's talking to us," Ricky realized.

Jake slapped the back of his head lightly. "Duh. She called you an idiot. Course she's talking to you. Now, Binary nine."

* * *

"An idiot could find that code," the Wolf continued. "Cancellation code. And he'd keep on typing. Keep on fighting. Anything to save the world."

"You're words are irrelevant, little girl," Lumic interrupted.

The Wolf scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah, talk too much, that's my problem. That's what the men always say, anyways. Lucky I got you that cheap tariff, John, for all our long chats."

"Yeah," John jumped in catching on to what she was doing. "On my phone."

"You will be deleted," Lumic said loudly.

"Yes," the Wolf agreed. "Delete, control, hash. All those lovely buttons. Then, of course, there's my particular favorite. You know it, John?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Send," John answered, looking at the camera as well now.

"Too right. And let's not forget how you seduced all those ordinary people in the first place." John's cell phone beeped. He pulled it out and read the numbers in the text. "By making every bit of technology compatible with everything else," the Wolf finished.

"Wolf, it's for you," John said, tossing the phone to her.

The Wolf caught it, brandishing it at Lumic. "Like this," she told him, thrusting the phone into a docking station. The code transmitted into the Cybus Network, causing the Cybermen to all cry out, clutching their heads in pain. The three captives jumped to their feet.

"What have you done?" Lumic screamed as one of the Cybermen's heads exploded.

"I gave them back their souls," the Wolf declared. "They can see what you've done, Lumic, and it's killing them." The three ran out of the room as more Cybermen fell to the ground.

"Delete! Delete! Delete!" Lumic's screams followed them out.

The Wolf led the two men to an emergency exit, but their way was blocked by writhing Cybermen. A fire had broken out, cutting off another route. "There's no way out!" the Wolf yelled over the noise.

John's phone rang. He pulled it out and listened to the instructions Ricky gave him. "It's Ricky," he told the Wolf. "He says head for the roof." Thomas pointed out a metal staircase and the three sprinted up it as the fire spread around the station.

"Where'd you learn to fly that thing?" John asked as they got onto the roof to see the Zeppelin descending toward them.

"Playstation," was Ricky's answer. "Now just hold on a second, while I park this thing."

"You can't go any lower," John could hear Jake over the phone.

"We have to," Ricky answered.

"Babe, you're gonna crush them."

"There's got to be something – oh, here we go." A rope ladder dropped out of the bottom of the aircraft. "Get on," Ricky ordered.

"You've got to be kidding," Thomas muttered.

"Yeah, I don't think he is," the Wolf replied. "John, get on."

John reluctantly got onto the rope ladder and climbed up to give the Wolf and Thomas room. It was eerily similar to when he'd clung to the rope on the barrage balloon in the World War II air raid, and he wasn't pleased with the reminder. There was no Captain Jack Harkness to save him this time. John thrust away the ache of his dead friend.

The Zeppelin began re-ascending as soon as all three had boarded the ladder. John clung to it, focusing all of his attention on not looking down. But something pulled on the ladder, jerking them all down and almost knocking them free of it. John looked down, seeing Lumic holding onto it.

The Wolf quickly pulled out her sonic screwdriver. "Thomas!" she yelled. "Take this, use it! Hold the button down. Press it against the rope!" She dropped the screwdriver and miraculously, Thomas caught it, though he didn't immediately do anything. "Just do it!" she shouted at him.

Thomas nodded determinedly and looked down, shouting something at Lumic that John couldn't quite catch. But the rope gave way after a few tense seconds, dropping Lumic to be engulfed in a now exploding power station as he screamed in anger.

* * *

John waited outside with the Smythes as the Wolf installed the recharged power cell back into the TARDIS. The TARDIS began to light up, and the ache in John's head from the stress of their latest adventures finally eased as he saw the TARDIS come back to life and she hummed happily in greeting.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save Toni for you," John apologized to them.

Emma was in Thomas' arms, silent tears running down her face. But she looked up at him, eyes grateful. "Thank you, John," she said earnestly. "We appreciate how you tried for our little girl. Really."

"Why did you, though?" Thomas asked.

Emma smacked his arm in rebuke. "Tom!"

"No, I need to know," Thomas insisted. "You two," he waved at John and vaguely at the TARDIS, where the Wolf had yet to emerge, "you don't quite make sense. You know all these things about different worlds. Why?"

John paused, thinking about how much he should reveal. "It's like you said," he finally began. "Different worlds. Parallel worlds. Worlds where Thomas and Emma Smythe didn't survive that car crash all those years ago. But their son did." Thoma and Emma froze, staring at him in shock. John smiled sadly and turned to enter the TARDIS, but a small hand on his arm stopped him.

He turned to see Emma looking up at him. "You're...ours?" she asked hesitantly.

John shook his head regretfully. "I was. Once. But not here."

"And Toni?"

"Never existed."

"You tried to save her anyway," Emma stated.

John shrugged. "Seemed like something an older brother would do." With that, he suddenly found his arms full of his not-quite mum as she hugged him fiercely, her tears starting afresh. John held back tears of his own as he hugged his mother for the first time in seventeen years, even if it wasn't quite the same. He looked over at Thomas. Thomas' eyes were conflicted, but he gave John a grateful nod, which John returned. Eventually, Emma broke away and went back to Thomas, composing herself.

"What will you do now?" John asked.

"Well," Thomas sighed. "There's all those Lumic factories out there. All those Cybermen in storage. Someone's got to tell the authorities what happened. And the President is dead. I guess that'll be my job since I was the only other candidate. I can help from there. I imagine that that Jake and Ricky will want to continue fighting."

"Too right," Jake's voice interrupted as he and Ricky approached, each holding a bag.

The Wolf exited the TARDIS then, a confused expression on her face. "Wolf, are you okay?" John asked.

"Yeah, just the strangest case of deja vu," the Wolf answered. "Fine now," she added brightly.

"Found these, like you asked," Ricky broke in, handing over the bag he was carrying. Jake gave his to John.

"My jacket!" the Wolf exclaimed happily. "Good man, Ricky the Idiot. Now then. Boys, we've got to run. But one more thing. Mrs. Moore. Her real name was Angela Price. She's got a husband out there, and children. Find them. Tell them how she died saving the world."

Jake nodded seriously. "Yeah, course we will."

"Off we go, then. Only have five minutes of power. You'll be alright, all of you?" the Wolf asked.

"All that work to done with those Cybermen, just like Smythe here said," Jake assured her. "Think we'll start at the factory in Paris, what d'you think, Ricky?"

Ricky grinned. "City of love, Jake?" He shrugged. "Good a place as any."

"Good," the Wolf approved. "Because we can't come back here. Travel between parallel worlds is impossible. The TARDIS, my ship, only got here by accident. We fell through a crack in time, and when we leave, I'll have to close it. We can't ever return."

"Understood," Ricky said.

They all shook hands, with Emma hugging John once more, before the Wolf went back into the TARDIS. John went to follow, but turned back to the small group. "You're gonna want to see this," he told them with a grin before he too disappeared into the ship.

The TARDIS dematerialized as soon as the doors closed, leaving them all staring in shock and awe. "What the hell?" Jake wondered.

"The Wolf and John Smythe in the TARDIS," Emma whispered to herself, squeezing her husband closer.


End file.
